BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — GASP this week launched 1-866-581-GASP (4277), a hotline for Alabamians who live and/or work near toxic pollution sources such as power plants and industrial facilities to report complaints, especially as related to health issues.
The outreach effort is in response to apprehension about pollution complaints not being documented properly by the Jefferson County Department of Health. GASP will submit callers’ complaints to JCDH to ensure those concerns are heard and put on the record.
The GASP Hotline comes at a time when Drummond Company’s Title V operating permit for ABC Coke in Tarrant is up for renewal at JCDH. There is an informational meeting about the permit Monday, March 31 at Tarrant Intermediate School at 6 p.m. JCDH is also holding a public hearing Monday, April 14 at 1 p.m. in Conference Room A at the health department.
“We felt that in order for residents’ concerns to truly be heard, we had to offer a hotline for people to tell us their stories and report those stories directly to the agency responsible for issuing pollution permits,” said Kirsten Bryant, GASP outreach director.
“It is critical for local agencies, elected officials, and the EPA to hear from Alabamians about how their health is being negatively affected by toxic pollution they believe is linked to sources like ABC Coke.”
One of the most obvious signs of air pollution is odor, which can result in a range symptoms. Signs your health has been affected by air pollution odor include changes in appetite, sleep difficulty, respiratory issues, and nausea.
The World Health Organization released new estimates of the global impact of air pollution, saying that every year, 7 million premature deaths are linked to air pollution. In a frank news release, the WHO said, “Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives.” We couldn’t agree more.
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