Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes the airways of a person’s lungs to swell and fill with mucus. Asthma affects people of all ages, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness. Both long-term and short-term relief medications are used to treat asthma, as there is no cure or way to prevent it entirely.
According to the Richmond Environment and Asthma Community Health (REACH) study conducted by UCSF, the prevalence of asthma in Richmond is almost double the prevalence of asthma in the state of California. Asthma prevalence is 13% in California as a whole and 25% in Richmond. Hospital visits in Richmond are regular, and families fear that their children will develop respiratory illnesses, a common concern of people living in areas with high pollution. According to Dr. Amanda Millstein, a primary pediatrician from Richmond, the cause of asthma in patients is long-term exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, in the air. Fine particulate matter is one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 6 criteria air pollutants and one of the most dangerous air pollutants out there. Due to its small size, PM 2.5 is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause serious impairment to the brain as well as other organs. In addition to asthma, PM 2.5 exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and cognitive decline.
The Chevron Oil Refinery is the main source of PM 2.5 pollution in Richmond. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s 2024 Path to Clean Air report, focusing on the Richmond-San Pablo area, reported that 63% of the area’s PM 2.5 came from the Chevron oil refinery. Other sources of PM 2.5 included congested roadways such as the I-80 and I-580 highways and the Richmond parkway.
In addition to the Richmond refinery being a constant source of PM 2.5, it is also prone to accidents. A total of 204 accidents have occurred; accidents at oil refineries often release even larger amounts of pollutants than normal into the air. The most notable accident at the refinery in Richmond was the 2012 fire. According to the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), the fire sent 15,000 Richmond residents to hospitals. Sandy Saeturn, APEN’s political manager and long-time Richmond resident, was told her 14-month-old baby suffered cancer twice and her other children faced allergies and skin irritations due to the family’s close proximity to the plant.
Richmond is composed primarily of working class people of color; Richmond’s population is 35.4% Hispanic, 17.8% Black, and 14% Asian and Pacific Islander. The oil refinery in Richmond has been classified as California’s second-largest single greenhouse gas emitter. America’s history of redlining, segregation, and discriminatory housing has led to marginalized communities being more likely to live in closer proximity to environmental hazards. Not everyone has equal protection from health hazards, observed in additional cases such as the water contamination in Flint, Michigan in 2014. The lack of environmental justice for minority communities is a significant issue that needs to be given attention.
Image Credit: San Francisco Chronicle
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