Impact/Purpose:

The West Louisville Air Toxics Study was conducted in 2000 and 2001 and was the basis of a risk assessment that was released in late 2003. The West Jefferson County Community Task Force and the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, with the involvement of stakeholders, developed a Risk Management Plan to guide decisions concerning air toxics risk management options in Louisville.

Description:

WLATS was a cooperative effort among the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the West Jefferson County Community Task Force, the University of Louisville, and EPA Region 4 whose purpose was to determine whether residents of the Rubbertown area were being exposed to levels of air toxics that could result in unacceptable health risks. The study involved monitoring at 12 locations for 24 hours every 12th day over the course of a year. The risk assessment based on these measurements found lifetime cancer risks at each of the monitoring locations would exceed 1 in a million. For long-term noncancer health endpoints, 1,3 butadiene emerged as a chemical of interest. The risk assessment did not identify an acute exposure hazard. The Risk Management Plan suggests several approaches for reducing the risk due to air toxics ranging from regulatory efforts to cooperative efforts among stakeholders. EPA Region 4 has committed to assist the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District and the West Jefferson County Community Task Force as they implement the plan.

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