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STL among the worst places in US for air pollution

Published

2 years ago

March 24, 2023

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ST. LOUIS – Large tracts of the St. Louis metro area are awash in air pollutants 30 times smaller in diameter than a single human hair, according to analysis from The Guardian newspaper.

Researchers from the University of Washington and Virginia Tech took modeling and data from the Center for Air, Climate and Energy Solutions, and applied that to metropolitan areas across the contiguous United States.

According to the analysis, neighborhoods or regions with a higher population of persons of color suffer greater air pollution.

Illustration courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency

The analysis uses publicly available data from 2011 to 2015 on the levels of “fine particulate matter,” also known as PM 2.5.

The Guardian says those years are the most recent on record that can be applied to a national model. Racial demographic data was used from the same time period for the sake of consistency.

What is PM 2.5? The Environmental Protection Agency defines it as “fine, inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.”

For comparative purposes, fine beach sand and a human hair are 90 micrometers and 50 to 70 micrometers in diameter, respectively.

These types of particles come from automobiles and factories, construction sites, wildfires, and other chemicals.

PM 2.5 particles are so small they can get deep into your lungs and bloodstream, and lead to a litany of health problems over time, such as “respiratory disease, heart attacks, and strokes,” according to The Guardian.

The St. Louis area ranks seventh on The Guardian’s analysis, saying the air quality is affected by nearby power plants and factories. The areas with the worst pollution are north of Delmar Boulevard, as well as Ferguson, and Granite City, East St. Louis, and Belleville in the Illinois Metro East.

The worst location? Bakersfield, California. Although it isn’t a major metropolitan area, the agricultural town is surrounded by mountains, which trap all kinds of pollutants, including farming chemicals, dust, and truck exhaust.

You can see the full Top 10 list by visiting The Guardian.

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Man attacks Jeff Co. deputy with screwdriver during attempted arrest

Published

1 year ago

July 11, 2023

Natural Bridge

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Two people are behind bars after a man reportedly attacked a Jefferson County deputy with a screwdriver during an attempted arrest over the weekend.

Prosecutors have charged Nicholas Davis, 47, and Amanda Davis, 45, of Dittmer, Missouri, with felonies in the investigation.

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The alleged attack followed a traffic stop of a driver in the 9500 block of Jones Creek Road on July 7, though the driver was not Nicholas or Amanda.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Nicholas reportedly came out of his nearby home, yelled at a deputy and started approaching him while holding a screwdriver. The deputy initially ordered Nicholas to back away, then used pepper spray.

Per court documents, the deputy attempted to arrest Nicholas, who then struck him in the chest with the screwdriver. Amanda reportedly approached the deputy and pulled him away from Nicholas before both ran inside their home.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the situation prompted an hours-long standoff involving negotiators, a SWAT team and a K-9 deputy. The situation led to Nicholas refusing warnings and being bitten by a K-9.

Nicholas and Amanda are both jailed in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. Nicholas is charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and armed criminal action. Amanda is charged with resisting/interfering with arrest.

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St. Louis Public Schools superintendent to be sworn in

Published

1 year ago

July 11, 2023

Natural Bridge

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ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis schools superintendent will be officially sworn into office today. Dr. Keisha Scarlett took over the job in July after the retirement of Dr. Kelvin Adams. She was assistant superintendent in the Seattle Public School District. The installation ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. before the regular school board meeting.

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Gas tanker crashes into St. Louis Metro transit center

Published

1 year ago

July 11, 2023

Natural Bridge

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ST. LOUIS — A gasoline tanker truck crashed into a Metro transit center near Riverview and Hall Streets early Tuesday morning and knocked over a power pole. The pole is leaning on other power lines. Police have the area blocked off here because there is a downed power line. Ameren and Metro crews are also on the scene.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. It’s still unclear exactly what caused the crash, but we do that there was a second vehicle somehow involved. The airbags on that second vehicle did deploy.

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Police at the scene have not been able to give us a lot of details. Metro officials tell FOX 2 that the transit center here is operating this morning for passengers and buses. Access to certain areas will be limited here as clean up unfolds.

A Metro spokesperson says half of the station isn’t being used right now because of safety issues. It isn’t impacting overall bus operations, everything is just happening on the other side of transit center.

The extent of the damage to the actual transit center is still unclear, but I’m told it does not appear to be extreme. A Metro spokesperson tells me there were no injuries to any metro workers or passengers. The tanker driver also was not injured.

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