“The objective was never about money, the aim always was to get the company to do the right things,” Battersea resident Mark Cameron told the Sunday Observer last week.

Cameron was one of the leading voices protesting the dust nuisance,

“The feeling now is that they (Windalco) are now on the right track though there is a lot more that needs to be done,” he added.

Cameron had said late last month that a member of his community was preparing to file a “class action” law suit against the bauxite/alumina company as a consequence of “the clouds of toxic dust” from the dry lake invading their homes and endangering health.

But over the last two weeks the waste disposal site — which over a period of months had become a dust bowl — has been flooded with water.

Last week most areas of the lake that were visible from the Winston Jones Highway and the Kendal main road were obviously water soaked. A large pool of water was visible in one area, sprinklers were running and there was evidence of cut grass being dumped on the surface.

Cameron told the Sunday Observer yesterday that dust monitors had been installed at some homes.

While declining to go into details, Windalco’s senior communications officer, Kayonn Wallace, confirmed last week that her company was “meeting the requirements from NEPA (National Environmental Protection Agency) to keep the site wet”.

“We do have a plan … a strategy (in collaboration) with regulatory agencies,” she explained further.

In a recent media release NEPA reported that during a meeting with officials of Windalco and the State’s bauxite/alumina oversight agency, the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) a number of measures had been reached to deal with the dust nuisance.

They include “engaging overseas technical support to assist with managing the problem, installing a third tower (sprinkler) and completing the installation of piping to wet the southern area … ploughing selected surfaces followed by berming, covering of surfaces with grass and using .. fire trucks … to apply water to surfaces.

“In addition, Windalco was instructed to install additional particulate monitoring stations at the southern and western boundaries to measure the dust levels impacting the surrounding communities ….”

The release said the measures were expected to result in a “marked reduction in the dust nuisance … thereby alleviating the residents’ discomfort” and “full compliance should be achieved within a month”.

While expressing satisfaction with the proposed actions, NEPA said it had “made it clear to Windalco that the immediate and long-term measures must be sustainable. If Windalco reneges on its commitment the company will face additional enforcement actions.

“Windalco will provide daily reports to NEPA and the JBI and the agency will continue to monitor the disposal site to ensure that the measures outlined by Windalco are implemented”.

For decades the red mud lake at Battersea was the dumping area for bauxite/alumina waste from Windalco’s Kirkvine alumina plant in neighbouring Kendal. Windalco shut down operations early last year following the collapse of metal prices as a result of the global economic recession — twinned to chronic inefficiencies in energy usage at its plants. All 762 Windalco employees located at plants and installations at Kirkvine as well as at Ewarton and Port Esquivel in St Catherine are to be made redundant by March 31, as the company enters a moth balled phase.

Windalco said recently that the dust nuisance came about largely because the alumina plant has gone idle coupled with the current intense drought.

In a release late last month, Windalco said it had “various dust control mechanisms in place, including a sprinkler system, which works with the mud slurry to keep the site wet. Since suspending production, however, no mud slurry has been pumped to the site and although the capacity and reach of the sprinkler system has been increased, the dry and windy conditions, coupled with the loss of additional moisture, have resulted in abnormal levels of dusting”.

But residents claim negligence was the real cause. Yesterday, Cameron expressed concern that there needed to be a “long-term plan” to deal with the more unfortunate legacies of bauxite/alumina processing such as red mud lakes and mined-out lands.

“I would love to see efforts to put down a fund to deal with it (environmental issues)”, said Cameron. “The entire bauxite (industry will soon be gone… what then?” he said.

Environmental concerns have always been high on the agenda in relation to Jamaica’s bauxite/alumina industry despite its long-standing status as a mainstay of the Jamaican economy.

Net earnings from bauxite/alumina were slashed by more than half from an estimated just over US$500 million annually last year following the cessation of production at the Windalco plants, Kirkvine in Manchester and Ewarton in St Catherine, as well as the closure of the largest producer, Alpart, at Nain in St Elizabeth. More than 2,000 workers were said to have lost jobs.

All three plants are majority-owned by the debt-burdened, Russia-based UC Rusal — the world’s largest aluminium producer.

Word broke recently that Rusal is contemplating a reopening of the Ewarton plant before year-end. But prospects for the near-term reopening of Kirkvine and Alpart are said to be dim.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose make up is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust . Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

The airborne crystalline silica that originates from the concrete, masonry and rock on the site can become lodged in the membranes and lungs of the respiratory systems of the people on and near the site. Once there, they become hardened and cause permanent damage and even death.

Construction dust control for this problem can be accomplished when the proper precautions are taken along with the right equipment. The blades that are used to cut concrete and other masonry items should be equipped with a water attachment to make the dust to heavy to become airborne. When drilling into rock the same accessory should be used to weigh down the dust and prevent it from becoming airborne.

Cleanup afterwards is just as important. The water that was used to weigh down the dust particles will evaporate over time. Collection and proper disposal is a necessary part of keeping the work site as free as possible of nuisance dust.

Another little thought about source of silica is from the abrasive materials that are used on the construction site. This includes the silica paper and sanding discs that are used to prepare and condition the different surfaces around the site. When these materials are used, the operator should be using a dust mask on themselves to prevent inhalation of the particle matter.

The US Government classifies nuisance dust that is created by the landscape as a natural event under the air pollution laws. This is a contributor to the construction dust problem but not the whole cause. With the proper precautions control of construction dust can minimize the adverse effects in the people on and near the construction site.

To help you with determine specifically what is best for your situation there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

The fugitive dust that is around us is not on the run from the law, but in some cases should be. It is true that this type of dust has been around since the dawn of time caused by wind sweeping across the barren landscape.

This type of dust is scientifically described as particular matter. This is airborne debris that can adversely affect the health of people and the environment. The most common particulate matter is smaller than 10 micron in diameter and is called PM10. The second most common is PM2.5. This is debris that is smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter.

As man has evolved, so has his impact on the surrounding environment. The process of the fine particles that are being introduced into the atmosphere is becoming more numerous as time goes on. This was first noticed in the days of the wagon trains when it was beneficial to be up front due to the dust cloud that was created.

The EPA started keeping records on the fugitive dust problem across American in 1985. One of the worst years was in 1988 when a wide spread drought hit the nation. That year alone, it was reported that over 55 million tonnes of dust was in the air from multiple sources. In non-drought years, the EPA reports that only 25 million tonnes of dust is suspended in the air from these multiple sources, but this is every year. These sources include 17% from the wind and other natural sources, vehicles traveling over roads of which 40% are from the unpaved and 8% from paved roads, construction dust is 13% of this source, along with 19% coming from agricultural sources along with wildfires, and then there is 3% from miscellaneous sources.

The concentration of the dust problem is dependent on the surface area and the weather conditions of the region. Idaho is a great example. This state has a dry season and rainy season. For most of the summer, the temperature is hot and no significant rainfall occurs. This causes the soil to dry out. When this occurs, soil stabilization from moisture is not present and the winds take the top soil off the land and make it airborne.

Many states are instituting many regulations for fugitive dust control. These measures include the use of water and other chemicals to help control the dust problem. Dust suppressants and the paving of more roads have also helped to decrease the amount of particles that are becoming airborne.

Different strategies in controlling the dust problems are dependent on the region and the makeup of the land. Farmland has to have a different solution than unpaved roads have. There is not, at the present time or in the future, a cure-all for every situation when it comes to fugitive dust. To help you in determining specifically what is best for your situation, there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

An approach to road dust control  must take into account the type of road and the terrain in which it is situated. The solution for a paved road in the desert will be very different than a gravel road in the rural upper Midwest. Since nuisance dust has many sources in the environment, a permanent solution is not feasible. But there are long term solutions and very short term solutions to road dust .

The shortest term solution is the spraying of water on the road surface. This is an environment-friendly solution, but only lasts until the water evaporates. Oils are a longer term solution, but are not nearly as environmentally friendly as water is. In some cases, like with Times Beach in Missouri, the oils are from a waste source and contain toxins. The oil that was used as the road dust control  product for Times Beach was only 6 cents a gallon, but contained dioxin and other toxic chemicals. This was an economical solution for the town and its dust problem, but a health and environmental nightmare. This has lead to a ban by many states for the use of waste oils as a road dust control product.

Today, more thought is put into what covers the roads in any attempt to control road dust This is the reason so must research and development has been funded to find environmentally friendly and cost effective measures to reduce the amount of road dust that is contaminating the areas surrounding our roads and the air we breathe. This includes many different vegetable oils, non-bituminous chemicals, electro-chemical stabilizers, polymers, enzyme slurries, and the use of chloride salts.

The chloride salts are the most widely used because they are the least expensive of all the road dust control products . There are four different ones in use today which includes calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. Most people are aware the effect that two of these, sodium and potassium chlorides, have on their vehicles because of their use in the winter months to prevent ice buildup on the roads.

The use of calcium chloride for road dust control has occurred for many years. It has been noticed that not only had the nuisance dust been reduced but the roads themselves have stayed intact longer. It controls the dust by retaining moisture longer on the surface than other materials. This moisture level makes the dust particles too heavy to become airborne.

Not as cost effective, but longer lasting and more environmentally friendly, is a magnesium chloride solution. This hydroscopic chemical works in the same way that calcium chloride does, but with less damage to vehicles and the surrounding vegetation. Lately, there have been several companies developing this from naturally evaporated sea water. These chemicals have been tested by the EPA, US Army, and are in use in western states by the US Forestry Service.

There still is not a permanent road dust control product. But there are many solutions that are showing significant promise and are lasting longer so fewer applications need to be applied. This makes them more cost effective in the long term.

Most Americans are not fully aware of the road dust problem that exists across the nation. This dust is of a different makeup from what is found around in most homes. The dust that accumulates around on the furniture is made up of some dirt particles, but its main component is dead human skin cells that have fallen off the occupants of the dwelling.

For a particle to be considered dust, it must be smaller than 500 micrometers in size. This is why HEPA filters are used on vacuum cleaners and as part of the HVAC units in the homes, they trap 99.97% of all particles that are 0.03 micrometers in size.

Nuisance dust from the roads has a completely different composition and source. This dust is produced when the soil is disrupted and made airborne from wind or a passing vehicle, pollutants in the air, and the occasional volcanic dust that lingers around in the atmosphere.

There is little anyone can do about the volcanic dust problem. The source of the pollutant dust is the best place to control that problem source, and road dust can be controlled by economical means. The reason this is so important is the actual makeup of the dust that is kicked up when a vehicle passes over any road in America. In 1999, a study was conducted by Ann Miguel, PhD. and Glen Cass, PhD. of the Environmental Engineering Science Department at Caltech in Pasadena that studied the hazards from dust particles on the roads. They discovered that over 20 different sources of allergens were present on paved roads alone that exacerbated, or could actually cause, allergic reactions in people.

The Federal Highway Administration of America has reported there are over 3.9 million miles of roads across our nation of which 70% is unpaved. The dust and debris from these surfaces can contribute up to 10 million tonnes of airborne material in the form of dust each year, according to the 1997 National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report conducted by the EPA. The spreading of this airborne nuisance dust had already been studied by the US Forestry Service. They estimated that for each vehicle that traveled just one mile down an unpaved road every day for a year would place 1 tonne of said dust into the air that would cover an area round the road up to 500 feet.

Common earlier road dust control  measures involved wetting the roads down with water. This is an effective but temporary solution that is still used today. Since nuisance dust has become a greater concern, better road dust control products  have been developed. These include the use of surfactants that last longer than water, but are still just a short temporary fix. Adhesives are used in some cases to bind the dust to the surface and seal it. An example of this type of product is tree sap or lignin sulfonate. Chlorinated salts are helpful in keeping the moisture level in place to help reduce the possibility of particles becoming airborne by the sheer weight of themselves.

Road dust is more than just a nuisance to those that have allergies, and products to control it are being developed and improved to meet this need on a continuous basis.

A valuable resource for more information on this environmental topic can be found at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

One has suggested a drastic remedy.

David Winderlich, independent member of the Legislative Council, called for the state government to ban Penrice from mining on hot and windy days.

Mr Winderlich and Ivan Venning – the Member for Schubert – have both highlighted Penrice dust as a health and environmental issue.

They believe Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) tests show the mine has produced dangerous levels of fine-particle dust – in breach of the National Environment Protection Monitoring standard.

The results were recorded by a ‘hotspot caravan’ that has been located near the mine for the past nine months.

Penrice Soda Holdings, the company that owns the Barossa mine, has rejected the figures.

Guy Roberts, Penrice managing director and chief executive officer, revealed the mine’s own EPA dust monitors had not recorded any dust emissions that breached standards.

“We deny these exeedences,” Mr Roberts said.

“The supposition is those results picked up by the hotspot caravan were due to outside mine factors.”

The ‘hotspot caravan’ monitoring station was put in place on March 31, for a period of 12 months.

Mr Venning said it was installed after appeals by nearby neighbours.

But he was worried the monitor did not meet national standards.

“The EPA is supposed to be the community’s watchdog authority with regard to environmental issues, but in this case it appears they have dropped the ball,” Mr Venning said.

“Is this body serious about enforcing environmental standards or are they merely a toothless tiger?”

Meanwhile, the mine has already committed to install a new dust suppressant system in coming months.

This will come at a cost of $200,000 and be located inside the mine’s aggregate crushing plant – one of the known sources of dust emissions.

This move follows trials of a water soluble, biodegradable foaming dust suppressant system.

However, Mr Venning urged the mine to do more.

He wants the crusher and conveyer belts enclosed, to help reduce dust emissions.

“No one including myself wants to see the mine closed,” Mr Venning said. “Everyone is aware of the employment the mine provides for locals and that the soda ash extracted from the mine is used to make glass bottles – in particular wine bottles.”

Mr Venning believes the mine can fit in with the community.

“But measures need to be taken to ensure this happens,” he said.

“We chose the Aussie pumps high pressure pumps because of their big flow, high pressure performance and overall reliability” said Water Trucks Direct Managing Director, Brenden Bastian. “The 5 year warranty offered by Australian Pump is a tremendous bonus” he said.

Water Trucks use both high volume transfer pumps for fast filling in 3”, 4” and 5” sizes. The big volume pumps are either PTO or hydraulic drive with diesel options being available. Smaller tankers in the 10,000 litre range use Aussie 3” self priming gushers that produce flows of up to 1,500 litres per minute. Genuine Japanese Honda petrol engines, one of the major features offered by Australian Pump and Yanmar diesel drives are both used depending on the application and customer’s requirements.

Each module has a capacity of 2,000 litres and provides an integrated baffle arrangement that eliminates surgies on corners or from quick stops or starts. “The modular tanker design means we can produce tankers that use much the same componentry from 4200 litres to 30,200 litres depending on the customer’s requirement and the chassis available” said Brenden Bastian.

The tankers come with a unique rear spray bar and water distribution system that enables real flexibility in tanker operations. For example, tankers can load water fast from either a stand pipe or draw water from streams, rivers or dams.

Water delivery can be either through the spray bar or via a hose reel with up to 30 metres of hose and a high pressure fire fighting style nozzle that enables the operator to carry out watering functions or wash down on construction sites. Tankers can be kitted out with water cannons and both front and rear sprayer heads whilst an Aussie high pressure hydraulic driven pressure washer in capacities of up to 4,000 psi is also available as a handy accessory.

“The high pressure water blaster can utilize the water from the tank to clean plant and equipment in the field, facilitating service and maintenance procedures on earthmoving and mining equipment” said Mr. Bastian.

The high pressure pump is an Aussie Fire Chief, and offers the following features:

* The high pressure pumps are offered in either diesel or petrol drive configurations
* These big capacity high pressure pumps provide flows of up to 500 litres per minute and heads as high as 100 metres
* The pumps offer over 150 psi
* Australian Pump engine drive tanker pumps are available in both manual and electric start
* The electric start on the high pressure pumps enables the operator to have the facility of operating the pump function from the cab

Floor Sweepers and Floor Scrubbers from Tennant Features Tennant sweepers provide excellent debris pick up and dust control. They deliver superior, long lasting results even in the harshest environments with continuous up time and powerful sweeping performance.

Tennant sweepers control dust particles down to 3 microns. Tennant’s latest innovation, SweepSmart™, filters dust particles down to 0.5 microns.

1. Side brush sweeps debris into the path of the main broom
2. Skirt system creates a seal to maximise dust collection
3. Main broom contacts floor surface and flicks dust and debris into the hopper
4. Perma-Filter™ shifts airflow and forces the majority of dust, debris and moisture into hopper
5. Cyclonic filter system channels airflow to further remove dust and moisture from the air, redirecting it into the hopper
6. Nanofibre canister filter traps sub-micron dust particles resulting in clean air exhaust
7. The ErgoSpace™ operator compartment increases operator comfort, visibility and safety

Applications for Tennant Sweepers.

The Tennant SweepSmart™ system, available on the new S30 ride-on sweeper, uses a 3-stage dust control system for unrivalled performance.

* The first stage Perma-Filter™ keeps large bulky debris in the hopper
* The second stage cyclonic filter redirects fine dust and moisture back into the hopper
* The third stage flame-retardant nanofibre canister filter, filters sub-micron dust particles down to 0.5 microns

Benefits of the Sweepers

* Easy to use and it is built to last
* Extremely flexible, designed to clean a variety of surfaces indoors and out, without compromising performance
* Offers unparalleled safety with reduced noise levels, better sightlines and easy operation as well as significantly improved air quality

Tennant Industrial Sweepers include:

* 110 Walk-Behind Sweepers
* S8 Walk-Behind Sweepers
* S10 Walk-Behind Sweepers
* 3640 Walk-Behind Sweepers
* S12 Small Ride On Sweepers
* 6100 Small Ride On Sweepers
* 6200 Small Ride On Sweepers

County commissioners adopted an agreement Monday with the city and the state’s Air Quality Control Division that officials say should help protect the public and reduce the chances that the Grand Valley violates federal air-quality standards when it comes to dust pollution.

Local and state officials are trying to address elevated air dust levels in the valley that exceed the federal particulate matter standard known as PM10, as well as determine whether increased levels are created here or outside the area.

The federal government allows Mesa County to exceed the PM10 standard three times in a three-year period. If the standard is exceeded a fourth time, the state and local governments have to develop a plan to bring the valley’s air quality back into compliance.

Mike Brygger, county air quality specialist, said the county exceeded the PM10 standard three times in 2005 but not once since.

“We haven’t exceeded that standard in the last couple of years, but there’s always the potential to have a bad year,” he said.

Local officials aren’t just watching for elevated levels of dust. They’re also looking to see where the dust comes from.

That’s important because if air monitors register particulate sizes that violate federal standards, but those particulates came from a dust storm that blew in from outside the valley, local officials can claim the elevated levels were beyond their control. They can then petition the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the incident from a federal database and not have it count as a strike against the county.

For example, Brygger said, two of the PM10 standard violations in 2005 were the result of regional, not local, dust.

The agreement between the state, county and city reinforces dust-control measures already in place.

For the first time, it also brings in another agency to notify the public when high levels of dust are in the air.

Beginning this spring, the National Weather Service will issue blowing dust and public health advisories as necessary, advising elderly and citizens with breathing problems to stay indoors and people in general not to exercise outside.

The agreement also requires the city and county to review the effectiveness of their dust-control measures and implement any necessary modifications every two years.

If they can define it, they can measure it, and then they will Tax it.

Several studies considered the relation between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and total mortality, as well as mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive review of European epidemiological studies on the issue.

Methods: We searched the Medline database for epidemiological studies on air pollution and health outcomes published between January 2002 and December 2007.
We also examined the reference lists of individual papers and reviews. Two independent reviewers classified the studies according to type of air pollutant, duration of exposure and health outcome considered.

Among European investigations that examined long-term PM exposure we found 4 cohort studies (considering total and cardiopulmonary mortality), 1 case-control study (considering mortality from myocardial infarction), and 4 ecologic studies (2 studies considering total and cardiopulmonary mortality and 2 studies focused on cardiovascular mortality).

Results: Measurement indicators of PM exposure used in European studies, including PM10, PM2.5, total suspended particulate and black smoke, were heterogeneous. This notwithstanding, in all analytic studies total mortality was directly associated with long-term exposure to PM.

The excesses in mortality were mainly due to cardiovascular and respiratory causes. Three out of 4 ecologic studies found significant direct associations between PM indexes and mortality.

Conclusions: European studies on long-term exposure to PM indicate a direct association with mortality, particularly from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Author: Claudio PelucchiEva NegriSilvano GallusPaolo BoffettaIrene TramacereCarlo La Vecchia
Credits/Source: BMC Public Health 2009, 9:453