Health Effects of Respirable Crystalline Silica. Let's ask -- Does this belong in our mountain air?

Health Effects of Respirable Crystalline Silica

https://altocep.org/

November 2, 2021

This post focuses on release of respirable crystalline silica by concrete batch plants. It does not purport to be a comprehensive discussion of all the activities which may produce silica dust.

Silica dust is released during the manufacture of concrete. Crystalline Silica dust is a known carcinogen. The dust particles are very small (1/100 the size of a grain of sand) which allows them to bypass the body’s defenses against dust and similar inhalants and penetrate to the deepest recesses of lungs.

Silicosis is the principle disease resulting from prolonged exposure to silica dust. The NIOSH CDC states: “Silicosis, an irreversible but preventable lung disease, is caused by inhalation of respirable silica dust. Work exposures to silica dust also cause other serious diseases, including lung cancer.“

The problem I have with the above statement is that an insignificant (my word) number of studies of non-occupational exposure to silica dust have been conducted. This is important because there are very limited data about what might be acceptable exposure limits and the effects of placing concrete batch plants near residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and similar. There is an increasing number of Concrete Batch Plants near the above mentioned areas. It is my opinion these are being allowed by governing bodies because of the lack of information (studies) showing the hazards they pose to the general population.

To become more informed about the detrimental effects of silica dust and the symptoms of silicosis, I found this article https://amienvironmental.com/health-effects-silica-exposure/ to be a good place to start. I hope it helps inform and maybe even alarm you. Here's the article refered to above. The diagrams did not copy, so you will need to go to the article at https://amienvironmental.com/health-effects-silica-exposure/ to see.

AMI ENVIRONAMENTAL

Silica Exposure Health Effects & Risks

August 23, 2017 by Dan Taylor

We know that silica exposure is bad. It can lead to serious, sometimes fatal, health problems. And exposure is more common than you’d think. Learn about respirable silica dust, exposure risks and the health effects of silica exposure.

What is Crystalline Silica? Crystalline silica is a mineral that is part of natural materials like sand, soil, stone and mineral ores. It can also be used to manufacture products like concrete, bricks, mortar, artificial stone, pottery, ceramics and glass. Respirable crystalline silica is most commonly found in a range of construction and industrial settings, such as metal work, abrasive blasting and hydraulic fracking.

Respirable Crystalline Silica: Crystalline silica becomes dangerous when it is broken down into tiny particles that you can breathe in (aka “respirable crystalline silica”). These particles are very, very small and measure less than 10 micrometers in diameter. That’s about 100 times smaller than regular sand.

Respirable crystalline silica dust particles measure less than 10 micrometers in diameter— about 100 times smaller than a grain of sand.

Where can you be exposed to respirable crystalline silica? Respirable silica is produced when silica-containing materials are cut, drilled or ground. These types of activities are commonplace on construction sites during demolition, new construction and renovation projects, and emergency repairs.

Common silica-producing activities that occur in the construction industry include:

Crushing, drilling and jackhammering rock and concrete.

Masonry and concrete work on buildings or roads

Abrasive blasting.

Demolition activities

Cutting, sawing or sweeping silica-containing products.

Silica exposure is also common in industrial and manufacturing settings, such as:

Quarry work, mining and tunneling.

Cement and asphalt pavement manufacturing.

Production of construction materials like granite, marble, stucco, plaster, drywall, bricks, tiles, joint sealants, cement roof tiles.

Welding and metal work.

Oil and gas operations, including hydraulic fracking.

Manufacture of glasses, plates and cosmetics.

Health effects of silica exposure: A health hazard is created when workers are exposed to crystalline silica dust, especially when it’s inhaled. Respirable silica dust particles are small enough to travel deep into your lungs. These particles scratch delicate tissues in your respiratory system, causing damage that impairs your ability to breathe and deliver oxygen to your blood stream.

“Silicosis,” the condition most commonly tied to silica exposure, develops after exposure to silica over a period of time. It can develop any time from a few weeks after high-level exposure, to ten years after exposure.

The effects of silica exposure can be debilitating. To date, silica has been classified as a human lung carcinogen and is known to cause lung cancer, kidney disease and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Exposure also increases the risk of occupational asthma, tuberculosis, renal disease, heart disease and a rare skin and tissue disease called Scleroderma. Silicosis victims can die from the disease; either directly due to lung damage, or indirectly by advancing related health issues.

How respirable silica dust affects the lungs: Most particles are too large to travel far into the lungs. The body can protect itself with coughing or mucous. But respirable silica dust is dangerous because the particles are small enough to travel all the way to the bottom of the lungs.

Respirable silica dust damages the alveolar sacs at the bottom of the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood stream. The particles can also become lodged in the sacs, which sets off an inflammatory response. Fibrosis and scarring will form around the dust particles, leading to further obstruction of the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange process. The scarring and stiffening of lung tissues over time makes it very difficult to breathe.

Types of Silicosis. There are three types of silicosis:

Chronic Silicosis: Develops 10 or more years after low-level exposure. Considerable scarring and upper lung symptoms are common.

Accelerated Silicosis: Develops within 10 years after being exposed to high levels of respirable silica.

Acute Silicosis: Occurs within a few weeks or years, usually after high-level exposure to respirable silica. Symptoms include fatigue, weight loss and cough.

Symptoms of silicosis:

Silicosis symptoms can progress over time. Initially, sufferers might experience a severe cough, weight loss, fever, fatigue, chest pains or bluish skin (cyanosis). Shortness of breath is also very common, especially in chronic cases.

Acute silicosis symptoms can appear quickly—even within a few weeks—as the lungs become inflamed and fill with liquid. Accelerated and chronic silicosis will also cause swelling of the lungs and chest lymph nodes, but over a longer period of time.

Fund Raiser for the Alto CEP

IF unable to attend (& have lots of fun) please consider donating to this cause to save our community and our wonderful way of life at https://www.gofundme.com/f/no-concrete-batch-plant-in-alto-new-mexico

Wreathes Across America fund raiser

The FORT STANTON CEMETERY WREATHS LAYING CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR.

For the last several years people in our community have donated money for the purchase of wreaths to be laid on the graves of veterans at the Fort Stanton Veterans Cemetery. This has been followed by volunteers coming together to lay the wreaths on the graves. These civic minded people led by Cecile Kinnan, the Spencer Theater ushers, the Fort Stanton Cemetery personnel and the Ruidoso Noon Lions Club are again asking for community help to purchase the wreaths and to lay them on the graves on Saturday December 18th at 9:00 a.m. Veterans have been interred at the Fort Stanton Cemetery for 117 years. It is an honor to recognize those who have given so much to our country. This is an active cemetery, so the number of wreaths needed for this project increases each year. Many cemeteries throughout the nation allow charitable organizations to take on this project as a fund raiser. The result is only those graves with purchased wreaths are decorated. It has been the successful goal of the volunteers for the Fort Stanton Veterans Cemetery wreath project to place a wreath on each veteran’s grave. This year 400 wreaths are needed.

This project is part of the “Wreaths Across America” program that was started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester when he placed wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. He continued to quietly practice this tradition until 2005, when a picture of the wreaths on the graves went public. The result was volunteers stepping forward to honor veterans at other military cemeteries. The project reached Lincoln County, and volunteers from as far away as El Paso have joined local people yearly in placing the wreaths on the graves.

According to the “Wreaths Across America” website: “In 2008, over 300 locations held wreath-laying ceremonies in every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries. Over 100,000 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves. Over 60,000 volunteers participated. And that year, December 13, 2008 was unanimously voted by the US Congress as ‘Wreaths Across America Day’.”

“In 2014, ‘Wreaths Across America’ and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies.” Lincoln County is part of this great national project, and we need the support of its people to continue.

The funds must be gathered by November 27, 2021 to meet the deadline for ordering. Tax deductible checks can be made out to Ruidoso Noon Lions Club and mailed to PO Box 1130, Ruidoso, NM 88355, Atten: Treasurer Don Fowler. As little as $15 would allow you to adopt one veteran’s grave. Any amount would be appreciated and used solely for the purchase of the wreaths. Please indicate on the check that the funds are for the Fort Stanton Wreaths Across America project.

Individuals who have family members buried in the cemetery may place a wreath on the specific grave.

In addition to the donated wreaths for the Fort Stanton Veterans Cemetery, this year individuals and organizations may also purchase wreaths for veterans’ graves at other cemeteries. It is not possible at this time to recruit enough volunteers to lay wreaths at every cemetery in Lincoln County, so the wreaths for graves not at Fort Stanton must be pre-paid by November 27, 2021, and they must be picked up at Fort Stanton Veterans Cemetery the morning of December 18th. The price for these pre-paid wreaths is the same ($15). Please contact Cecile Kinnan, 336-9157, for a non-Fort Stanton order form.

The hope is that individuals, businesses, civic organizations, and veterans’ groups will step forward to support the purchase of the wreaths.

The requirements set forth by county health officials relating to the COVID-19 pandemic will be closely monitored.

Rainfall in October. Not much - but loved the beautiful days!

Got Electronics you need to dispose? Since Sun Valley Water customers use Green Tree for trash service, we can dispose our electronics for FREE November 6!

Where to go to help and get information on Concrete Batch Plant fight

Contribute towards legal fees at GoFund Me site at

https://www.gofundme.com/f/no-concrete-batch-plant-in-alto-new-mexico?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet

Go often to the Alto CEP website to stay informed

https://altocep.org/

OR stay informed on FaceBook page

altocep.org

Ruidoso News Article October 23, 2021: Alto residents organize opposition to proposed concrete batch plant. Lincoln County Commission passes resolution backing them. Roper Construction Inc. owner Ryan Roper said the concrete batch plant would benefit the developing region.

by Reyes Matta III For the Ruidoso News

Lincoln County Commissioners earlier this month passed a resolution in support of an outspoken group of Alto residents who are trying to stop a concrete plant from opening in their community.

“The proposed use of the property is totally out of character for the area,” said Lincoln County Commissioner Tom Stewart, who voted in favor of the resolution that declared the plans for the concrete plant — filed by Roper Construction, Inc. — to be a possible nuisance to the area. The plant would be located near the intersection of Highway 48 and Highway 220, just north of Ruidoso

“And here we have a national wilderness area that is right about 1.9 kilometers from there, plus we have some very high-end homes,” Stewart said.

The Oct. 19 County Commissioners meeting was attended by more than two dozen members of the Alto Coalition for Environmental Preservation (AltoCEP), which is a group of residents, business owners and property owners who have organized to keep the proposed concrete batch plant out of Alto.

"I want to thank the board for listening to the voices and opinions of your constituents who have expressed concern and opposition to the proposed concrete batch plant," said Mark Severance, chair of AltoCEP. He said his organization represented the wishes of 500 property owners in the affected area, and added that more than 1,200 people have signed an online petition to express their opposition to the concrete plant.

The resolution regarding Roper’s concrete plant that was passed by Lincoln County Commissioners states in part: “The board … finds that the existence of such a potential nuisance would likely result in visual and environmental blight and unhealthy, unsafe and the devaluing conditions.” The concrete plant “if constructed along N.M. Highway 220 could be considered a nuisance to surrounding property owners,” the resolution stated.

Ellen Hightower, assistant chair for AltoCEP who lives nearby the proposed location, told the Commission that she has “been doing a lot of soul-searching and praying about this” and said her conclusion was that she and her husband have an obligation to protect the natural beauty of their land for their children, but that the county commission has a higher obligation.

“It is more about your legacy, about how you are choosing to leave our land in this beautiful pristine area by decisions that you guys make as a county commission,” she said. “It is far greater your legacy with what you ordain in our County that will last for generations.”

Photo of the Hwy 220 corridor at sunrise by local photographer, Mark Stambaugh.

Robert Phillips, an Alto resident, spoke bluntly to the commission.

“Currently I am paying taxes to live in a pristine area,” he said. “I am going to ask for my property to be re-evaluated at a lower rate and I think everybody in that area will too. And the county is going to lose tax money that goes into the budget that you all spend.

“I will be one of the first ones in line asking for a new appraisal if this gets approved.”

Another speaker, Charles Gordon, said he lives less than a mile from the proposed site of the concrete batch plant and was concerned about night pollution.

“I am an astronomer and that's one of the reasons why I decided to live in this area, because it has a good night sky,” he said. “And putting the plant where it is, only about eight-tenths of a mile from my house … that will end up scattering across the sky and it will cause a lot of damage to my astronomy.”

Gordon said he was aware of other amateur astronomers in the area who would also be affected.

The clear night sky, he said, “is a precious resource that we are really lucky to have here. People around the rest of the country are envious of our ability to be able to do astronomy at night,” he said.

Commissioners split on resolution passage. The Resolution passed on a 3 to 2 vote in favor. Commissioner Todd Proctor and Commissioner Elaine Allen voted against the resolution that labelled the proposed plant as a possible nuisance.

Allen did not respond to media inquiries.

Proctor said he voted against the resolution because he did not feel it was the County’s responsibility to enter the fray in what will possibly become a legal issue in the future.

“I don't feel it was our job to get involved in this cat fight,” he said in an interview after the meeting. He also said he was concerned that the owner of the concrete plant — Ryan Roper of Roper Construction Inc. — was in an unfair situation because he had violated no laws and had the right to pursue his interest on his property unfettered.

“Do I feel that the government is overstepping private property bounds? Absolutely I do,” Proctor said. “Here we are, stepping and interfering with somebody’s private property rights and bounds.

"He had no limitations set upon him for what he could do when he purchased the land. No laws were broken."

Proctor added: “The squeakiest wheel does not always get greased. And that's how I voted.”

Ryan Roper, owner of Roper Construction Inc., said he is adjusting to the negative portrayal of his business, and is doing his best to be a lawful, responsible corporate citizen of the area.

“I am surprised by the amount of pushback … there's a lot more than what I expected,” Roper said. He said he believes that the opposition to his proposed plant derives from misinformation spread on social media.

“It’s fueled by a bunch of false statements,” said Roper.

He said he believes the concrete plant will be a positive addition to the area because it will help build infrastructure for the Alto and Ruidoso. His company, he said, would focus on providing local service to the growing Lincoln County.

Born and raised at a family ranch about 18 miles north of Carrizozo, Roper graduated from Carrizozo High School in 2000, attended business school at New Mexico State University and started his company in 2005.

He said he believes in the American free market, and is trying to apply the “highest and best use” of the unincorporated land he owns, and has been mindful about following all laws, he said.

"We did our due diligence before this all started, so we could make sure we were doing everything within the law and restrictions. We believe we are doing everything by the law and by the code and going through the correct procedures to do that," Roper said.

Before Roper Construction Inc. can be approved for an air quality permit, the New Mexico Environment Department must first hold a public hearing, state officials said. That hearing, according to New Mexico Environment Department Air Permit Specialist Deepika Saikrishnan, has not yet been scheduled.

Roper said he has been advised to wait until the air quality permit is approved before beginning construction of the concrete batch plant.

Until then, Alto residents are continuing their push to keep the plant out of their community.

Yvonne Lanelli, a member of the AltoCEP group, said it is a regional interest to keep the concrete plant out of the pristine Ruidoso area.

“This is a huge thing. This impacts not only Ruidoso or Lincoln County but as you know the area is like a playground for southern New Mexico (and) West Texas so the whole issue goes way beyond Lincoln County,” she said.

This article was reported by freelance journalist, Reyes Matta III, for the Ruidoso News. Born and raised in El Paso, he is a graduate of New Mexico State University. His email address is rmataonline@gmail.com. Story ideas are always welcomed.