West Hollywood’s pollution burden is in the 85th percentile statewide and in the middle among nearby cities, according to one measure. That is the conclusion of a new report by WeHo by the Numbers, based on data from the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).
CalEPA created CalEnviroScreen to “identify California communities that are most affected by many sources of pollution, and where people are often especially vulnerable to pollution’s effects.” The tool combines 12 different pollution indicators into a single “pollution burden” score from zero to 10 for each census tract. The WeHo by the Numbers report focuses on that score. The tool also calculates a broader CalEnviroScreen score that takes into account residents’ vulnerability.
West Hollywood’s average pollution burden score is 6.5 on a 10-point scale. The averages for other California cities range from 1.7 to 9.6. Statewide, West Hollywood’s score is in the 85th percentile.
Within West Hollywood, the pollution burden varies by neighborhood. The lowest scores are in the center city area around Crescent Heights and the Norma Triangle neighborhood on the west side. Among all census tracts in California, they are in the 62nd and 65th percentiles for pollution burden.
The highest scores in West Hollywood are on the east side (90th percentile) and the west side south of Santa Monica Boulevard, extending east along Melrose (88th percentile). The scores for the rest of the west side (76th percentile) and the rest of center city (72nd percentile) are in the middle.
West Hollywood’s average pollution burden score of 6.5 is lower than Culver City’s 7.7 and Burbank’s 7.8. It is not clear whether that difference is environmentally significant. West Hollywood’s score is almost the same as that of Beverly Hills (6.3) and the City of Los Angeles as a whole (6.4). Santa Monica’s score is even lower, at 5.8.
There are big differences in the pollution burden within most nearby cities. The differences are the biggest in Los Angeles, with a seven-point spread on a scale of zero to 10. There is a three-to-four point spread among neighborhoods in Santa Monica and Burbank. Culver City and West Hollywood have a smaller two-point spread. In Beverly Hills, the differences are even smaller.
To find out more, see the full report, How much pollution is there in West Hollywood?
Check this out: what is the City of West Hollywood doing to protect our residents who live along the eastern SaMo and Fountain corridors?? They are veritable freeways after all!
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-freeway-pollution-filters-20170709-story.html
Yuk! And with more intensive development we will be OFF the chart. Bring Weho a 2.5 sq. mile oxygen tent stat! (Compliments of some naughty developers.)
OopsI didn’t see the attached link, as my eyes generally avoid text in red. I am reading that now.
This is very interesting, but I want more details. Since I moved here from 2.5 miles east, I cannot believe what a dirty (filthy) place this is. There is no industry, we are pretty far away from major freeways, so I figure it’s the geography. The study doesn’t give reasons and solutions.