The Sierra Club issued a report on April 30th, 2014, indicating that Kern County & Bakersfield City has the worst air in the nation. Furthermore, the American Lung Association rated Bakersfield as an F grade for air quality in 2014.
In addition, Bakersfield has been under health alerts for air quality; burn days have been banned, and we are in the middle of a draught. Plus, Kern County has more citizens with reported cases of respiratory issues than any other county in the nation.
Fireworks are proven to put toxic dust in our air from the chemicals used for color change. So, why on earth is the selling of this toxic garbage being allowed in our city? For years my family would leave to the Central Coast fort three days during the 4th of July holiday to get us out of this hazardous environment that causes both myself and my son weeks of illness due to respiratory illness. Unfortunately, over the past two years we have not been able to afford to leave town.
My sister-in-law has been battling valley fever for almost 10 years here in Bakersfield, and my father-in-law just got out of the hospital on Monday from having the upper lobe of his left lung removed due to lung cancer.
Obviously, the list goes on and on. I would like to see our county and city take the health of its citizens, taxpayers, and voters as a priority similar to what the Central Coast has done.
