Bellingham Comments from Digital Recorder - EISs for the Proposed ...

GATEWAY PACIFIC TERMINAL EIS SCOPING HEARING VOL. II
COURT REPORTER: BETH DRUMMOND PROCEEDING DATE: October 27, 2012
Page 32
1 involve the community. You need to look at the signs from
2 the community, and frankly, this -- this is real.
3 MS. STRAUSZ-CLARK: 12, 13, 14. 12 you're at the
4 microphone. 13 and 14 you're at the desk.
5 Please state your name for the record.
6 THE SPEAKER: Tom Malterre, Bellingham resident.
7 Two additional science degrees, Center of the Office of
8 Institutes team faculty member, also noted as round table of
9 the Office of Research Institute.
10 My concern is the particulate matter soot and
11 mercury levels increasing in time. We've seen from
12 research, coming out of both Colorado and Oregon, that the
13 increase since 1984 is at a minimum of 29 percent of air
14 particulate matter coming from Asia and the gas stream
15 bringing it here to the Pacific Northwest.
16 My concern is that the mercury levels, as they
17 will increase, will increase the risk for autism and
18 behavioral disorders or a cognitive decline in children.
19 We do see that when children are exposed to
20 mercury at an early age, they actually end up with more
21 cognitive decline and behavioral disorders.
22 As the mercury level will climb in particulate --
23 and now there's an association between 15 and 30 percent of
24 our air and mercury coming directly from Asia.
25 And as these coal power plants are actually