Pilot program could better health of students
According to the Office of Statewide and Health Planning and Development, the Imperial Valley has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma hospitalization and emergency room visits.
Meaning that a windy day could be trouble for students at several schools in our area including Mccabe Union Elementary District.
The school’s principal, Armando Lopez said, ” We have to be careful. We took a look at the air quality that day making sure that students are okay to be outside for those days. ”
And now the Imperial Air Pollution Control District ( IAPCD ) is working with the school to improve the air quality.
IAPCD Special Projects Coordinator, Katie Burnworth said about the pilot program that, ” The children and the senior citizens are the most sensitive to it. And when you have dust blowing directly into where the kids are playing on the playground that’s a big concern for us. ”
A pilot program that uses recycled asphalt hopes to be cost-effective solution to the problem.
” Grounded up into a crusher find. And they’re laying it down, and they’re leveling it so it’s flat and then spraying a surfactant over the top of it. ”
IAPCD has used it before at other school and hopes it can be successful for Mccabe Union Elementary as well.
” It kept a lot of the dust down during football games. You have a lot of traffic where people go and park on the ditch bank and before built dust directly on the football players and now we’re not seeing that happening. ”
Annabel Ruiz whose child attends the school suffers from asthma is relieved that the school is taking measures to better student’s health.
” It’s a toll for them because they have to be out of school, and they have to be treated with medication. I know that some kids need to use nebulizers so it takes them away from school, ” said Ruiz.
Lopez said the school plans to use the recycled asphalt on a dirt lot that will only cost a fraction of what they would have paid for a common pavement.
Lopez added, ” There’s curriculum that needs to get purchased. We have a water tank here. We have our own water treatment facility here. So the money can go to different areas. ”
The project is expected to be completed at the end of October.
