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1 Charlie Yunker From:Paul McHugh <paulmchughmn@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, January 26, 2021 4:04 PM To:Charlie Yunker; Randy Stille; Jan Jenson; Bernard Walker; Wendy Webster; Tom Randle Subject:Car wash CUP: health impacts of idling vehicles in stacking lanes Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use caution. (Please include this letter in public comment on the car wash CUP.) Mayor Stille and City Council members: As you know, the car wash CUP application envisions two "stacking" lanes with up to 16 idling cars waiting their turn. The health impact of the resulting tailpipe emissions in a residential area was not assessed by the city planner or planning commission. And it definitely should have been, because idling cars are a well-documented source of health-harming air pollutants. According to the EPA, "Idling vehicles contribute to air pollution and emit air toxins, which are pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects." And the MN Pollution Control Agency says, "...exhaust from an idling engine contains more pollutants than that from moving cars." What's in car exhaust? A summary by the UCS of the major pollutants from motor vehicles includes: Particulate matter (PM), Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs (including the toxic air pollutants benzene, acetaldehyde, and 1,3-butadiene), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide. The MPCA says: "...the list of harmful ingredients in car exhaust runs to more than 100 compounds. Studies have linked pollution from vehicles to increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease, asthma, and allergies." St. Anthony Village city code Section 152.243(C)(3) forbids the city to approve a CUP that would permit land use "detrimental to the health…of persons residing or working in the vicinity..." Let's look in more detail at expected detrimental health impacts of these idling vehicles. The proposed car wash would be located within 50-100 feet of up to 31 homes, including 3 families with children and 25 households at the age 55+ Kenzington. Children and elders are, in fact, the age groups whose health is the most vulnerable to air pollutants. How do we know this? 1. Seniors and air pollution: The health of older people is vulnerable to air pollution, including car exhaust. A study from London's Royal College of Physicians states, "Older people are more susceptible to air pollution than younger [adults] because of health problems such as myocardial infarction and stroke." And an EPA report, "Older Adults: An Environmentally Susceptible Population", says: "Exposure to air pollution particles is associated with increased morbidity and mortality attributable to cardiovascular and pulmonary causes in older adults. "Those with heart disease… are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of inhaled particulate matter."