NKCDC	Testimony

EPA	Tier	3	Public	Hearing

April	24,	2013

My	name	is	Ariel	Diliberto	and	I’m	here	on	behalf	of	New	Kensington	Community	Development	

Corporation (NKCDC).	NKCDC has	been	working	in	the	Fishtown,	Port	Richmond,	and	Kensington	

neighborhoods	since	1985.	The	department	I	work	in,	the	Community	Engagement	department,	

assists	at	least	150	residents	each	month	with	various	quality	of	life	concerns.	Thirty	residents	

volunteer	multiple	times	per	month	on	committees that	help	guide	NKCDC’s	work.	As	a	result,	we	

are	fairly	in	touch	with	neighborhood opinions	and	issues.	Moreover,	approximately a	third	of	our	

staff	live	in	our	service	area.

NKCDC	is	in	support	of Tier	3	Motor	Vehicle	Emission	and	Fuel	Standards.

The Port	of	Philadelphia, the	second	largest	importer	of	goods	in	the	North	Atlantic,	is	located	in	

our	service	area.	That	means	we	have	many	trucks	picking	up	goods	at	the	port,	and	disseminating	

them	across	the	country,	via	our	service	area. I-95	also	runs	through	the	neighborhood,	further	

increasing	air	pollution	and	residents’	exposure	to	it.

Traffic	of	trucks		to	and	from	port	facilities	is	a	major	concern;	studies	from	other	areas	of	the	U.S.	

have	shown	that concentrations	of	ultrafine	particles	and	gases	from	combustion	can	be	highly	

elevated	near	roadways1,2,	and	exposure	to	these	and	similar	pollutants	has	been	associated	with	

risk	of	asthma	and	respiratory	infections3-6,	lung	cancer7,8,	low	birth	weight	and	preterm	birth3,9,	

and	cardiopulmonary	mortality10,11.

According	to	the	U.S.	EPA’s	2005	National	Air	Toxics	Assessment	(NATA),	Philadelphia	residents	

face	a	higher	than	average	risk	of respiratory	disease	and	cancer	due	to	air	toxics	exposure.

And a high	percentage	of	residents	of	Philadelphia	(23%	of	children	and	17%	of	adults),	and	Port	

Richmond	in	particular	(26%	of	children	and	23%	of	adults),	suffer	from	asthma,12 compared	to	U.S.	

averages	(9.4%	of	children13 and	8.2%	of	adults14).

But	what	does	this	look	like	on	the	ground?	It	looks	like	trucks	idling all	year	round on	residential	

blocks,	most detrimentally	during	the	summer, when windows	are	open	to	the	bedrooms	of	

children	and	senior	citizens	alike.

It	looks	like	soot	collecting	on	windowsills	daily,	more	than	even	the	most	diligent	cleaners	among	

us	can	keep	up	with.

It	smells	like	exhaust, even in	the	ambient	air	outdoors.	

It	looks	like	trucks	driving	down	residential	streets,	driving	right	past	“no	tractor	trailer”	signs.	
NKCDC	supports	Tier	3	Motor	Vehicle	Emission	and	Fuel	Standards to	reduce	smog	forming	

pollution	from	gasoline	powered	cars	and	trucks.	This	proposal	represents	an	important	first	step	

in	improving	the	air	quality	for	Philadelphians,	for	the	residents	in	our	service	area,	and	

particularly	for	those	who	live	closest	to	the	port.		

Sources:

1. Zhu	Y,	Hinds	WC,	Kim	S,	Shen	S,	Sioutas	C.	Study	of	ultrafine	particles	near	a	major	highway	

with	heavy-duty	diesel	traffic.	Atmos	Environ	2002;36(27):4323-4335.

2. Zhu	Y,	Hinds	WC,	Kim	S,	Sioutas	C.	Concentration	and	Size	Distribution	of	Ultrafine	Particles	

Near	a	Major	Highway.	J	Air	Waste	Manag	Assoc	2002;52:1032-1042.

3. Brauer	M,	Hoek	G,	Smit	HA,	de	Jongste	JC,	Gerritsen	J,	Postma	DS,	et	al.	Air	pollution	and	

development	of	asthma,	allergy	and	infections	in	a	birth	cohort.	Eur	Respir	J	

2007;29(5):879-888.

4. Brauer	M,	Hoek	G,	Van	Vliet	P,	Meliefste	K,	Fischer	PH,	Wijga	A,	et	al.	Air	Pollution	from	

Traffic	and	the	Development	of	Respiratory	Infections	and	Asthmatic	and	Allergic

Symptoms	in	Children.	2002;166(8):1092-1098.

5. Gordian	ME,	Haneuse	S,	Wakefield	J.	An	investigation	of	the	association	between	traffic	

exposure	and	the	diagnosis	of	asthma	in	children.	J	Expos	Sci	Environ	Epidemiol	

2005;16(1):49-55.

6. Kim	J,	Huen	K,	Adams	S,	Smorodinsky	S,	Hoats	A,	Malig	B,	et	al.	Residential	traffic	and	

children's	respiratory	health.	Environ	Health	Perspect	2008;116(9):1274-9.

7. Silverman	DT,	Samanic	CM,	Blair	AE,	Rothman	N,	Lubin	JH,	Ziegler	RG,	et	al.	The	diesel	

exhaust	in	miners	study:	A	nested	case-control	study	of	lung	cancer	and	diesel	exhaust.	J	

Natl	Cancer	Inst	2012;104(11):855-868.

8. Attfield	MD,	Schleiff	PL,	Lubin	JH,	Blair	A,	Stewart	PA,	Vermeulen	R,	et	al.	The	diesel	exhaust	

in	miners	study:	a	cohort	mortality	study	with	emphasis	on	lung	cancer.	J	Natl	Cancer	Inst	

2012;104(11):869-83.

9. Wu	J,	Ren	C,	Delfino	RJ,	Chung	J,	Wilhelm	M,	Ritz	B.	Association	between	local	trafficgenerated	air	pollution	and	preeclampsia	and	preterm	delivery	in	the	south	coast	air	basin	

of	California.	Environ	Health	Perspect	2009;117(11):1773-9.

10. Brunekreef	B,	Beelen	R,	Hoek	G,	Schouten	L,	Bausch-Goldbohm	S,	Fischer	P,	et	al.	Effects	of	

long-term	exposure	to	traffic-related	air	pollution	on	respiratory	and	cardiovascular	

mortality	in	the	Netherlands:	the	NLCS-AIR	study.	Research	report	(Health	Effects	Institute)	

2009;2009(139):5-71.

11. Hoek	G,	Brunekreef	B,	Goldbohm	S,	Fischer	P,	van	den	Brandt	PA.	Association	between	

mortality	and	indicators	of	traffic-related	air	pollution	in	the	Netherlands:	a	cohort	study.	

Lancet	2002;360(9341):1203-9.

12. Philadelphia	Health	Management	Corporation.	2008	Household	Survey.	In;	2008.

13. Bloom	B,	Cohen	R,	GS	F,	National	Center	for	Health	Statistics.	Summary	health	statistics	for	

U.S.	children:	National	Health	Interview	Survey,	2010.	Vital	Health	Stat	2011;10(250).	

14. Schiller	J,	Lucas	J,	Ward	B,	Peregoy	J,	National	Center	for	Health	Statistics.	Summary	Health	

Statistics	for	U.S.	Adults:	National	Health	Interview	Survey,	2010.	Vital	Health	Stat	

2012;10(252).