Pacific Steel Casting Remains Under Scrutiny
Judith Scherr,  Berkeley Daily Planet, September 22, 1999

The City Council has added its voice to those of West Berkeley and Albany citizens who are concerned about adverse health affects allegedly caused by emissions from Pacific Steel Casting facilities in West Berkeley.

During last week's meeting, the counci1 asked the city manager to write to the Bay Area Air Quality District, asking the agency "to provide an independent, facility screening evaluation of human health risks for all Pacific Steel Casting facilities in Berkeley."

The board has been conducting a series of hearings, relative to odors emitted from the plant. The hearing panel has permitted testimony with respect to smells only. People who attempted to testify to perceived health impacts were told that testimony was inappropriate for purposes of the panel's investigation.

This study requested by the council, therefore would address those health questions that the panel did not address.

Environmental activist LA. Wood asked councilmembers to go beyond this resolution. He wanted them to ask the air board for a study of all the various emissions and their health affects in west Berkeley. "To only evaluate PSC emissions when its neighbors on adjacent properties also discharge large quantities of similar emissions is extremely shortsighted and says virtually nothing about actual air quality in the immediate area," he said in a letter to the council.

The council, however, declined to take action on the broader question and resolved only to ask the air district to address the health affects of PSC emissions.

The BAAQMD will continue its public hearing on odors emitted from PSC tonight at 6 p.m. at the State Health Department Auditorium, 2151 Berkeley Way.