Here's your daily downer. A reader forwards us the link to a report on the cancer risks associated with the Union Pacific Railyard in Downtown LA. Trust us, it's fun for the whole family. Via our reader:
hello curbed LA, thought you might be interested - the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has published a draft health risk assessment [PDF] for downtown's Union Pacific railroad & vicinity. Fig.II-2 on page 14 (see above) is the estimated near-source cancer risk from the railyard (in chances per million people). Looking at that, it seems like living near a railyard is not a good idea, until you look at fig.II-3 and see that the ambient background risk (independent of the railyard) will do us all in regardless.
Overlay these cancer risk maps over your favorite downtown loft marketing brochure for added fun.
As the above map shows, within approx. a quarter mile of the railyard, the estimated cancer risk is generally between 100-250 per million. However, the good news is that the diesel emissions, etc. from the rail locomotives is not shown to cause significant health problems, besides cancer, unlike the Ports of LA and Long Beach where you're likely to wheeze and have constant nose bleeds. Good stuff, that pollution.
· Draft Health Risk Assessment...[PDF] [Air Resources Board]