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Wildfires Could Impact Air Quality Study at Santa Monica Airport |
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By Niki Cervantes
Staff Writer December 7, 2017 -- Amid the poorest air quality in decades as fires rage around Santa Monica, City officials are determining the status of a pollution study that was set to commence at its municipal airport this week. The study -- scheduled to begin this week before work to shorten the length of Santa Monica Airport's runway starts Sunday -- is expected to help determine the impact of air traffic, particularly jets, on air quality near Santa Monica Airport (SMO). The study conducted by Tufts University is intended to set a bench mark for the quality of air for SMO by looking at the airport before, during and after the work, which officials say will reduce jet traffic ("Tufts University Selected for Air Quality Study at Santa Monica Airport," December 4, 2017). On Tuesday, a choking cloud of unhealthy smoke and ash descended on the city, propelled by Santa Ana winds from a wildfire near Sylmar and, on Wednesday, a separate blaze on the Sepulveda Pass. The smoke conditions presented an entirely new challenge for gauging the health impact of SMO and raised concerns among advocates of the study that it will not provide an accurate picture of SMO’s air quality. City officials on Wednesday hadn’t determined how to proceed. “We are very saddened by the devastating impacts of the fires to our neighboring communities,” said Suja Lowenthal, senior advisor to the City Manager on airport matters. “Although our air quality study is extremely important, our focus at this time is ensuring that our neighbors are safe and supported,” she said.
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