The "And...Lancaster County Is Supposed To Be A Great Place To Retire" Story

Recent chart from the Lancaster Newspaper

It was an ordinary day.  Sneezing and blowing my nose continuously.  I recently had a cold, but thought it had passed a week or two ago.  So why does my runny nose continue?  Ah, after picking up the morning paper I found the reason.  Seems that Lancaster County is leading the State in poor air quality.  Not only the State of Pennsylvania, but it has more soot and smog than New York; Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Massachusetts; and the Washington DC-Arlington-Alexandria areas.  

Power plants are one polluter of the air.

How can that be with all the idyllic fields and streams on acre after acre without all the hi-rises and big city traffic.  Well, it be!  The report is based on the year 2018 which is their latest facts and figures they have.  Can't imagine how bad in may have been last year.  The report is based on the number of days in 2018 with elevated levels of smog, soot or both.  So just what are smog and soot.  Ozone, which in its visible form is called smog is one while the other is particulate matter which is known as soot.  Lancaster ranked worse in soot.  Seems that one or both of the categories were elevated in 119 days of the year which is almost a third of the year.  105 of the days we had an excess of soot while 36 days we had too much smog.  Actually, Lancaster did better than the year before when they showed 179 days of the year with elevated levels in both.  But, I guess we can count on going in the wrong direction next year, since the National Clean Air Act is further endangering air quality by dismantling protections that had been in place before our latest President arrived.  The latest study was conducted by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.  The American Lung Association also issues a report, but that is only every three years.  

The waste from these animals is spread on the crops
to make it grow better.  It is hazardous.

The most recent one was 2015-16 so we have another year to wait for that study.  But, their last report showed that Lancaster county and Johnstown area are tied for the 15th worst particle pollution in the country.  The report did show improvement over the past two decades due in part to federal efforts to bring down emissions from power plants and industrial boilers.  Both studies are based on an Air Quality Index scale color coded from green (good) to maroon (hazardous).  If you happened to fall in the yellow, or hazardous, areas, you should limit outdoor exertion on days when the air quality is hazardous.  The most recent day in Lancaster County when the air was considered hazardous in the PennEnvironment study was January 25.  So, why is our air quality so poor being that we aren't a huge city with all those cars emitting fumes.  Seems that some sources of pollution are no fault of our own.  Bad air drifts eastward into Lancaster County from power plants and metropolitan areas upwind.  But, Lancaster certainly isn't blameless.  We generate plenty of bad air from industries, power plants all up and downtime the Susquehanna River and home and agriculture.  Yep, all those chemicals and animal manure that Lancaster County farmers use on their fields leads to poor air quality.  And, you do know that Lancaster is known as the "Garden Spot of America" due to all the farmland we have in the county.  

The manure they spread as well as other chemicals
that are used to help the crops grow can be hazardous.

Bad air can increase the risk and incidence of asthma and other breathing problems.  And, the risks are greater for children and old people like me.  That information came from the chairman of nearby Millersville University's nursing department and member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.  And, they certainly should know.  Here's hoping the farmers keep the manure from the streams and is careful with the herbicides they use to kill the insects that eat their crops.  But, will it ever change.  It better!  That's the only way I'm going to be able to stop blowing my nose!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Will You Be The Solution Or The Problem?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the waiting room at Dermatology Associates anticipating what Dr. Lucking may find during my six month visit.  I was one of only four patients waiting in the multi-doctor practice and had no idea how long it would take before I would be summoned to disrobe for my examination.  So...I grabbed the nearest magazine and began to leaf through it.  The August 5, 2019 edition of Time Magazine had a multitude of fairly short stories about just about anything and everything, but the one that caught my eye was a story titled "Is this summer's intense head caused by climate change?"  Now, if you have been following the national news you probably know that according to the President of the United States, global warning is just a hoax and has no scientific facts to back it up.  I'm sure that many feel the same way, but for me.....well, there just has to be some reason why climatologists describe what they call new norms in global temperatures.  When thinking about climate change you must broaden your thinking and don't think just about your local community or even state.  You have to see what is happening all over the globe.  As I looked at the story I read that one climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that "We now have a new normal, we are in a new warmer climate.  Just in the 21st century, we've set a new global world temperature record five times."  Pretty shocking to me!  We are only 1/5 of the way through the century and a new record for warmth has been broken five times.  

Can your children, grand-children and great grand-
children continue to survive in a world like this?

My grandkids may have to live in an environ- ment where most summer days may reach 100 degrees or even worse, more of the polar ice cap may melt which in turn will not be able to reflect the sun off the earth's surfaces and thus make our world's oceans warmer which will in turn kill more marine life and....well the chain goes on and on and on.  But yet, some people think this is all a hoax!  It is a fact that in Antarctica, sea-ice coverage in June of this year was 8.5% below the 1981-2010 average, and in the Artic it was 10.5% below.  Why would anyone make up this stuff?  But, our President keeps telling us all these studies and reports are fake.  A report in the Environmental Research Communications predicts that states along the Gulf Coast will see more than 120 days a year that feel like 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century.  That's almost a third of the year!  Can you imagine how many more dermatologists will be needed to handle all the cases of skin cancer caused by weather like this.  And, 2019's above average rainfall in parts of the United States has been attributed to human emissions of greenhouse gases and that will continue until we humans get our heads out of our butts and find a way to change our behavior and stop modifying the atmosphere.  

The ice caps are melting!!

You do realize we can do that, but only if our government takes the initiative and sets standards that can stop modifying the atmosphere.  The rest of the world is working on it, but not with enough urgency.  Right now there are more than 180 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.  The USA isn't one of those at present.  The USA is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse-gas - after China!  We were part of the agreement until 2017 when our President withdrew the USA from the agreement.  Many foreign scientists believe the world can meet the challenge, but our country must be part of the solution instead of the problem as we now are.  Ask yourself how you can be part of a solution to make the world a safer place for your future generations instead of a problem.  I know what I plan to do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Trouble In Amish Land" Story

It was an ordinary day.  At one time it was ordinary, but today there is a problem in "The Garden Spot Of America".  For years now I have told of the outstanding farmland that is found in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where the majority of farmland belongs to The Amish and Mennonite Sects.  

Amish spreading manure on their fields.

Well, the farmland is still there, and probably will forever be there, but it seems that the farmland may be the reason for my story today,  Lancaster County, PA has just been ranked as 8th worst in the nation in annual soot!  For those not knowing what soot might be, it is fine particulate matter floating in the air.  And, how does Lancaster County get those high amounts of soot to make it 8th worst in the nation?  The answer is the "Big 3": cows, cars and coal.  

Many industrial complexes in Lancaster look like this.

On many of those farms you will find cows and other similar animals that emit ammonia from manure (poop) and urine.  That's never going to go away in pastoral Lancaster County and I suppose and hope that the emissions laws for motorized vehicles using petroleum products for their power source, that were recently ordered changed from the past Presidential administration to the current administration that now allows less efficient smog controls, will be returned to past policies.  But, Lancaster also happens to be in an unfortunate geographical location downwind of pollution generated by power plants to the west and such large cities such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.  Depending on the direction the wind may be blowing on any one day, it could easily change the reading used to rank counties in the testing.  As I examined the article more closely I realized that the ranking is based on statistics taken from 2014-2016.  Now what sense does that make?  

Brunner Island now is using natural gas instead of coal.

That's more than a year ago and doesn't take into considera- tion that since 2016, nearby Brunner Island in York County, who has been cited many times for excess pollution and whose fumes pass frequently over next-door neighbor Lancaster County, has been changing from coal to natural gas to produce electricity.  Pollution can travel for miles and miles as was noted when a wildfire in Albert, Canada in 2016 caused the smog levels in Lancaster County to spike significantly. Might have been the day that the readings were taken in Lancaster County that led to the poor readings and thus the poor ranking.   I guess I should tell you I am upset about all the smog and soot produced in and around Lancaster County, since close to 40% of those living in Lancaster County are either considered children (under 18) or seniors (over 65).  

Red-headed woodpeckers from the late 1800s to present day
are lined up in chronological order to show the difference of black
carbon, known as soot, on their feathers.  This photo is from
the Field Museum in Chicago.  Photo by Tristan Spinski.

And, I have personally noticed a change in my respiratory conditions in the past few years.  My nose runs non-stop many days which leads to constant mucus in my throat which leads to more spitting which leads to many more "That's gross" comments from my wife.  Air pollution is known to lead to premature death and can cause a variety of lung and heart diseases.  It is a big problem for those with diabetes, adult asthma, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pediatric asthma and new lung cancer cases.  Why can't we solve all the problems?  Money!!  Jobs!!  Politics!!  Want to name a few yourself.  

Barbara, a friend of Carol and mine, lives in
Sint Maarten and sent this photo of the dump
that has been burning for over 10 years.

Carol and I have friends on the island of Sint Maarten who have been battling a nearby municipal dump that has been burning for years and years. They now need to stay inside or wear a mask depending upon which way the wind blows.  The dump is right next to the capital town of Philipsburg.  They have written letters to just about everyone they can think of  including the top officials in the Netherlands which controls the island.  They have received no help!  The dump is close to the cruise port where thousands of tourists depart to visit Philipsburg daily.  What can they do?  Again: Money, politics, etc.  Here's hoping that Lancaster County will be able to solve their problems so those of us who are most affected due to age can live pollution free.  Maybe it will happen in my lifetime, but I'm not counting on it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

PS - The following 2 letters were sent by residents, including my friend Barbara, to those who can do something about pollution on the island.  Now it is up to those in power to actually do something about it.  Just as in the United States, we only hope the government will take the concerns of the citizens to heart and do something.  If not...get new people in charge during elections.

A more recent view of the dump and the air quality.

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                     February 6, 2018

His Excellency Eugene Holiday 

Governor of Sint Maarten

Falcon Drive 3

Harbour View

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

Mr. Chris Johnson 

Office of the Dutch Representative in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

Your Excellency,  

The Sint Maarten Pride foundation, a community environmental nonprofit foundation, has been noting frequent violent landfill fires that have been flaring up before and after hurricane Irma. Even more worrisome is the violent flare up of the second Irma dump on February 4th. 

Our Group has noted that our local government has made no headway with a project of a modern waste to energy plant, or a plan of shipping waste off island.

Our concern is that it is well known that the landfill has reached its expiration date several years ago and instead of our government placing this issue as a high priority of finding a long-term solution, government instead created a second landfill dumping area. 

This situation is exasperated by the mass waste of post hurricane Irma where not only regular household waste is discarded but also combustible containers and materials that should not be dumped on landfills due to their fire flammable dangers. 

Your excellency, our group is appealing to you as we have lost faith and trust in our local government in ensuring that our citizens health is secured. In fact we are worried that our children and adults are exposed to this environmental hazard and the toxins every single day. The landfill is constantly smoking and too often flares up as raging out of control fires.

Not only are our firemen exposed trying to battle the constant fires but our residents far and wide are exposed to the foul burning odors. 

We are hereby requesting you to place pressure on our local government to expediently find a long-term solution to this hazard affecting the people’s health. 

Our people should not be expected to walk with face masks and close their windows and doors as a daily exercise. These procedures in fact do not even properly protect anyone from the toxic fumes.

With this letter we are also appealing to the King of the Netherlands, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, to intervene on behalf of us the people in his Kingdom, as it appears finding a solution to the landfill is outside the scope of the local authorities.

With no headway being made by the local politicians and governing bodies, and the instability of our local governments not being able to govern properly due to government falling almost every 12 months, we are left no choice but to appeal to his Majesty, King Willem-Alexander, to intervene. 

No longer should our people wait and hear political rhetoric while our people are dying of cancers and respiratory diseases. 

People in the Dutch kingdom are guaranteed clean air in the constitution and so should it be for those living on Sint Maarten. 

As a community environmental group our focus is not only the environmental hazard but the wellbeing, health and hygiene of our residents and visitors.

Our livelihood of tourism is at stake but more importantly our health and future livability as a people.

We trust you will take our appeal on the landfill issue and the raging fires seriously. Our group would like to see a final modern waste solution found immediately. One that we can be proud of, one where our quality of life and our future in health can be guaranteed. 

Sincerely,

Barbara Cannegieter 

Secretary of Sint Maarten Pride Foundation 

Jadira Veen

President of Sint Maarten Pride Foundation

Most recent letter.  Click on to enlarge it.