Ephraim and Gibraltar Ignore School Kids Health Risk

The purpose of this blog is to encourage the Gibraltar School Board to change their policy concerning the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport plan to install a 12,000 gallon gasoline tank self-dispensing of 100 octane leaded gasoline. This action was approved at a Joint Board Meeting of Ephraim and Gibraltar on March 13, 2008. The minutes of this meeting can be read on-line at the Village of Ephraim web page and linked in this blog in enclosures. The Gibraltar School Board,and Superintendent have refused to reject this plan. The Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics is supporting the plan. Approximately, $170,000-200,000 of federal, state, and local tax dollars will be spent to implement this plan if it is finalized. All of this expense is being incurred to potentially improve gasoline sales revenues at the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport and to encourage more use, so that the cost of operating the airport can potentially be reduced. Exceedingly small amounts of lead in children can cause irreversible mental and physical retardation. Miscarriages are also increased due to lead ingestion. The major use of leaded gasoline in the USA is for propeller aircraft. Virtually all other uses have been banned as of Jan. 1, 1996 after nearly being eliminated for all vehicular highway use by 1986. NASCAR race cars, pleasure boats, and propeller aircraft are the only permitted users remaining. Nearly 500 million gallons of leaded gasoline are produced annually for the latter purposes with over 90% used by propeller aircraft. This use accounts for over 2 million additional pounds of lead to our environment. The use of any leaded gasoline must be banned from all use, but for now individual communities must act to protect infants and children from lead exposure, particularly where schools are located in close proximity to propeller aircraft airports such as the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport that is exclusively used by propeller aircraft.

Dr. Steve Seyfer, Superintendent of Gibraltar Schools, replied by email on May 12, 2008 to an email that I had sent to him on May 11, 2008 asking that he and the Gibraltar School Board oppose the plan. I also requested that all of the communities that depend upon Gibraltar School System be informed so that individuals could decide what is in the best interest of their communities and children. Dr, Seyfer's reply stated in part as follows: “There is a difference between ignoring an issue and deciding that an issue is not relevant to the work of the School Board. The Board decided the latter, not on the basis of its student health issues, but on the jurisdiction of the decision. The Board is constantly concerned with the well being of school-aged children. Regarding jurisdiction, the Board observed that other governmental agencies are responsible for decisions regarding the local airport.” I see nothing in the April 4, 2008 School Board minutes other than acknowledgment of my email to Dr. Seyfer. You can read these minutes on-line at the Gibraltar School web site, and the link is attached in enclosures. There was no discussion whatsoever, noted in the minutes, by the School Board concerning the lead issue.

The most important point is that the full 12,000 gallon tank contains about 54 pounds of soluble lead versus 5 pounds in the full 1,100 gallon tank. The vaporization of leaded gasoline from pressure relief vents in the 12,000 gallon tank will be substantially greater then from the 1,100 gallon tank, and these lead-containing vapors will become airborne and easily reach the school area and contaminate the grounds and air. Vaporization from the tank is directly proportional to surface area of the gasoline/air interface in the tank. For example, a half full 12,000 gallon tank will have about 270 square feet of gasoline surface area exposed to air within the tank, whereas the 1,100 gallon tank when half full has about 27 square feet of gasoline/air surface area. Therefore, evaporative losses of leaded gasoline will be about 10 times greater over a given period of time for the 12,000 gallon tank than for the 1,100 gallon tank now in use. This means that 10 times more lead will be emitted into the air and spewed wherever the prevailing winds go and increase the risk of lead poisoning by at least a factor of 10. Airborne lead-containing pollutants can travel hundreds of miles so the short distance, about 2 miles, from the airport to the school area will not offer any protection from lead poisoning from the large gasoline tank.The airborne lead will inevitably contaminate surface and ground water as well. School staff and teachers will also be exposed to 10 times more lead contamination.

When the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport was opened in 1948 Gibraltar School did not exist. Gibraltar School now has about 600 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. If the 12,000 gallon leaded gasoline fuel tank is permitted there will be accumulative lead poisoning of children and others. Once lead is ingested the body tends to retain and accumulate and cause progressive health impairment. Furthermore, the increased vaporization will occur year round as long as any gasoline is in the tank. The deposition of wind carried lead will continue day and night constantly increasing the amount of lead on the grounds of the school and into the buildings, constantly increasing lead ingestion and harming the children who are exposed as well as fetuses of pregnant teachers and staff whose fetuses are very susceptible to lead poisoning. Health damage caused by lead is irreversible and progressive as lead ingestion continues over time. Detailed information concerning the harm from lead is linked to this blog title. Click on the title to read this information. Much more information is available on-line. Just run a search for "lead exposure medical problems" to obtain enormous amounts of information about the serious and sometimes deadly medical problems that result from lead exposure.A very recent investigation by the University of Cincinnati Medical School reveals a very definite link between criminal acts and blood lead in adults who were exposed to even very minute amounts of lead in childhood.

The quoted statement made by Dr. Seyfer in response to my May 11, 2008 email is not just unsettling, but it is beyond comprehension. The School Board's excuse appears to be based upon their perceived lack of jurisdiction. If the School Board and the Superintendent truly believe that the “jurisdiction” is not theirs, then say so and publish their policy in the FOG newsletter. Why are you, Gibraltar School Board and Superintendent, as the primary protectors of children under your control while at school, balking? You have BOTH JURISDICTIONAL AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY to assure a safe school environment and there is absolutely NO JUSTIFICATION to do otherwise.

The Gibraltar School Board and School Superintendent have the inherent RESPONSIBILITY to inform their staff, teachers, parents, students, and all property tax payers, who pay for the operation and facilities of Gibraltar Schools, about ANY HEALTH issue that may affect Gibraltar School. The increase in lead emissions from the use of the 12,000 gallon tank is such an issue. It's use will inevitably increase lead exposure and lead ingestion by children at Gibraltar School. The Gibraltar School Board and Superintendent must assume full JURISDICTION for the well being of the children attending the Gibraltar School System now and in the future. They have the responsibility and jurisdictional authority to reconsider their policy and go public, either for or against the 12,000 gallon tank for leaded gasoline. The long term health of all children attending Gibraltar Schools will potentially be permanently impaired if the School Board and Superintendent fail to assume their jurisdiction and responsibility to stop the installation of the 12,000 gallon tank.

Concern for and protection of the health and well-being of all school children attending the Gibraltar Schools now and in the future depends upon our collective actions now. Send notes to school with your children to Superintendent Seyfer asking him and the School Board to stop the tank installation plan. Call the Gibraltar School Superintendent, Steve Seyfer, at 868-3284. Phone the Village of Ephraim Trustee's Chairperson, John Cox, at 854-5501. Call the Town of Gibraltar Board of Supervisor's Chairperson, Merrell Runquist, at 868-1714.Contact Fredrik Anderson, Gibraltar School Board Chairman at 854-5496. Let all these elected representatives and appointed officials know that you oppose their ill-conceived plan ,and/or their acquiescence to allow the plan, that will result in an increased lead contamination of air, water, and soil contamination and be particularly harmful to children during their developmental years. All the children depend upon our concern and actions to prevent the installation of the tank. OTHERWISE, WE TOO WILL SHARE THE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HARM TO DEFENSELESS CHILDREN. Please act soon and spread the word to prevent this action promoted by elected and appointed officials who seem to have forgotten their fundamental responsibility to all Door County children to CAUSE NO HARM.