Cumberland County Physicians Resolution: The Air We Breathe

The following August 2005 public letter was signed by over three-quarters of Cumberland County physicians.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY PHYSICIANS RESOLUTION: THE AIR WE BREATHE

In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act that required each state to achieve air quality standards as set by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) by 1977. Although improvement has been achieved nationwide with respect to air quality, Cumberland County does not comply with current standards for ozone and fine particulate matter.

The American Lung Association (ALA) ranks Cumberland Country’s atmosphere as the 24th most polluted area in the United States, comparable to New York City.*

Due to the concentration of truck traffic in Cumberland County, fine particulate pollution from diesel exhaust is much higher than in most places and is astronomical along the “Miracle Mile” in Middlesex Township.

Diesel exhaust is a mixture of particulate matter, gases and chemical compounds containing 40 known environmental contaminants. Fine particulate matter (PM _2.5) consists largely of carbon (soot) to which other chemical substances bind. As we breathe, these tiny particles carrying toxic substances enter our lungs and are deposited in the deepest recesses of our lung tissue. Some of these toxic substances can cause cancer or other adverse health effects.

Breathing diesel emissions containing these fine particles can result in exacerbation of lung disease, i.e. asthma and emphysema, and can precipitate heart attacks. Populations at particular risk include infants, children and the elderly with pre-existing heart and lung disease. In addition, diesel exhaust is known to contain three carcinogens that cause lung and bladder cancer. According to ALA reports, scientists estimate that 50,000 to 100,000 people die each year as a result of air pollution. Studies have shown that children exposed to diesel exhaust exhibit abnormal lung development which appears to be permanent.

The construction of additional distribution parks will undoubtedly bring more diesel trucks into the area and will have public health implications. Carlisle already is a “hot spot” of diesel pollution.

We acknowledge that the trucking industry is vital to our way of life and to the economy. We have benefited from it as much as anyone and do not advocate eliminating the trucking industry. However, we also believe that proper and insightful environmental planning is essential for our community’s future and its health and well-being.

As the American Lung Association slogan states:

“When you can’t breathe, nothing else really matters!”

*Based on 24-hour PM _2.5 measurements.

The foregoing is authored by Dr. Phil Carey and agreed to by:

Adam C. Abram, MD Ali Ahmed, MD David P. Albright, MD Edwin A. Aquino, MD Daniel M. Armesto, MD Ramesh Arora , MD Shiv S. Aggarwal, MD William Bachinsky, MD Bruce. O Bailey, MD David C. Baker, MD Michael J. Banach, MD Sherma B. Bharucha, MD Gary L. Blacksmith, Jr., MD Richard N. Blutstein, MD Todd A. Bokelman, MD T. Alex Boshnakov, MD Joseph Brazel, MD D. Shaun Bryant, MD Howard W. Burkett, DPM David Calcagno, MD Joseph J. Campbell, MD Philip D. Carey, MD John Caruso, DO David P. Chernicoff, DP Howard R. Cohen, MD Johnson G. Coyle, MD J. Edward Dagen, MD Faith Daggs, MD Michael Daniels, MD H. R. Davis, MD Lisa M. Davis, MD Richard L. Davis, MD William E. Demuth, Jr., MD George W. Ehly, MD David B. Evans, MD Katarzyna Ferraro , MD Thomas S. Filip, MD Thomas J. Green, MD L. Greer, DPM Darryl Guistwite, DO Kenneth R. Guistwite, MD J. L. Hardesty, MD Richard C. Harker, MD Jeffrey H. Harris, MD David L. Hartzell, MD Creston C. Herold, Jr., MD Daniel P. Hely, MD Webb S. Hersperger, MD Louis Hieb MD Mohammad Ismail, MD Russell R. Janson, MD William K. Jenkins, DDS James R. Johnston, III, MD

Marion N. Johnston, MD John C. Jurgenson, MD Sharad K. Khetarpal MD Serge Kolev, MD Donald J. Kovacs, MD Stephen J. Krebs, MD Robert Lasek, MD Gregory L. Lewis, MD John G. Loeffler, MD Wallace A. Longton, MD Michael E. Lupinacci, MD Russell Macaluso, MD Ronald G. Mangan, DMD Robert E. Martin, MD David S. Masland, MD Allan Mira, MD George K. Moffitt, Jr., MD Barry Moore, MD Thomas C. O’Malley, MD Louis Myers MD Michael J. Oplinger, MD George P. Ong, MD Roger H. Ostdahl, MD Maria Papoutsis, MD William J. Phelan, MD Mark Pinker, DPM Joseph A. Pion, DO Larry S. Rankin, MD Kent R. Rentschler, DMD Keith S. Rice, MD Carol Robison, DO Noelle, Rotondo, DO Ronald Schlansky, MD William L. Shelley, MD Michael F. Smith, MD A. Sposic, MD Bruce H. Spivak, DMD L. M. Stankovic, MD Drew Stoken, MD Leon Sweer, MD David I. Thompson, MD J. B. Tocks, MD Jay A. Townsend, MD E. Violago, MD Timothy P. Walsh MD David L. Wampler, MD William J. West, Sr., MD Willis W. Willard, MD Raymond J. Wiss, MD Bradford J. Wood, MD James A. Yates, MD James P. Yeager, MD John P. Zornosa, M

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