BREAKING NEWS: Saturday, June 29, 2019 has been declared as a CODE ORANGE Ozone Action Day. This means that the air may be unhealthy for certain folks. Learn more here: https://t.co/wDW9FHn6fp pic.twitter.com/9JQhJ8EWOV
— Philadelphia Department of Public Health (@PHLPublicHealth) June 28, 2019
Month: June 2019
Resources for HIV-Positive Latinos
NBC10
“We noticed that the people who were at highest risk were not as aware of PrEP,” said Greg Seaney-Ariano, of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In the last five years alone, there has been a 17% increase in Latinos with HIV diagnoses, according to the department.
By Miguel Martinez-Valle and Eddi Cabrera Blanco
Telemundo 62
(Auto-translate from Spanish)
“It is alarming that most people are not aware of getting tested for HIV and being treated for HIV,” said Maria Seno, supervisor of the AIDS Activity Coordinating Office (AACO) education program. , a division of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health whose focus is AIDS prevention and help for people living with the disease.
Lack of knowledge has resulted in a 17 percent increase in the number of Latinos diagnosed with the virus in the last 5 years.
The frequency of HIV in the Latino community is 10 times higher than that of the general population in Philadelphia. Two out of 10 people diagnosed in 2017 were Latinos.
“What is alarming is the fact that we have the treatment, we have the knowledge to not only protect individuals who do not have HIV but also prolong life and quality of life for those who are living with HIV,” said Seno.
By Miguel Martinez-Valle and Rudy Chinchilla
Air Quality Alert June 27-28
PES Fire Press Conference
WHYY
But Philadelphia’s deputy health commissioner, Caroline Johnson, said the windy day helped clear the air of any pollutants that could have affected city residents.
“Based on aggressive sampling of air quality in the region of PES, we found nothing of concern, and we see no evidence that there’s been an impact on the health of the public in Philadelphia,” Johnson said.
By Susan Phillips and Dana Bate
KYW
Deputy Health Commissioner Caroline Johnson said Air Management Services has been doing “aggressive” monitoring of chemicals associated with fires and burning fuel.
“They have been doing daily inspections in the community and along the fence line of PES (Philadelphia Energy Solutions), and all of those have been negative,” she said, adding there’s no evidence of any other public health effects.
By Pat Loeb
NBC10
Dr. Caroline Johnson said Health Department staff have been conducting “very aggressive” air quality monitoring in neighborhoods surrounding Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ Girard Point refinery since Friday morning.
By Vince Lattanzio
Inquirer
Dr. Caroline Johnson, a deputy health commissioner for the city, said experts had been carefully checking air quality for any increase in noxious chemicals and found none. On Friday, she said, tests showed very minor elevations of acetone and ethanol, but those quickly abated.
She noted that there was no evidence of any release of hydrogen fluoride, a deadly chemical used in refining. Nor, she said, was there any spike in visits to area emergency rooms for breathing problems.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-fire-refinery-cause-health-pes–20190625.html
By Willliam Bender and Craig McCoy
Patch
While the scene at PES is still active, there is no threat to the community, officials said.
Health officials said air quality monitoring is ongoing.
By Max Bennett
AP
The city’s deputy health commissioner said Tuesday that aggressive air monitoring has turned up nothing of note and that emergency rooms have not reported increases in people with respiratory distress.
Dr. Caroline Johnson also said air samples tested for 61 chemical compounds found “very minor” elevations of acetone and ethanol Friday but nothing since then.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/us/article/Refinery-fire-not-formally-under-control-no-14046661.php
Inquirer 2
Health concerns: Mayor Jim Kenney notes that “there are no findings that would suggest a threat to public health.” Dr. Caroline Johnson, a deputy health commissioner for the city, said hydrogen fluoride was not released.
By Patricia Madej
Curbed Philly
Philly’s Department of Public Health reported Friday that they took samples of the air with hand monitors right outside the plant and through the neighborhood, looking for hydrocarbons, combustibles, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. All tests came back negative, said the health department’s communications director James Garrow.
The department conducted 18 more tests over the weekend, all of which came back negative, he said Monday.
On Saturday and Sunday the department also took grab samples and tested the air around the plant for 61 different volatile compounds. All 61 compounds came back as being below legal limits, though two compounds—acetone and ethanol—were reported as being higher than usual, Garrow said.
https://philly.curbed.com/2019/6/26/18759682/pes-shut-down-refinery-oil-permanently
By Anna Merriman
HIV Outreach Latinx Community
As the percentage of HIV positive people in Philadelphia’s Latinx community increases, community members are working to stop the stigma around HIV and promote safe practices and free testing.
By Miguel Martinez-Valle
Naloxone in the Community
But something happens when civilians receive greater access to the life-saving drug: Its usage becomes harder to track. That’s because when more naloxone gets in the hands of private civilians, many of whom may be drug users themselves, they’re able to administer the drug — usually Narcan, the brand-name for the version given nasally — before paramedics arrive on the scene. And increasingly, health department officials say, paramedics aren’t being called at all. “People using drugs are doing this all the time and not reporting it,” says Allison Herens, the health department’s harm reduction coordinator, who performs naloxone trainings and tracks its use citywide.
https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/06/24/narcan-giveaway-paradox/
By David Murrell
Free Testing for National HIV Testing Day
Release
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, CVS Pharmacy, and a host of local organizations will be holding free, confidential HIV testing clinics at the CVS on Broad and Girard Streets. National HIV Testing Day is Thursday, June 27. This annual event encourages people to get tested for HIV, to know their HIV status, and to start HIV treatment right away if they have HIV.
Fox29
Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health is offering free HIV tests this week.
The free, confidential testing clinics will be offered at the CVS on the corner of Broad Street and Girard Avenue in North Philadelphia.
https://www.fox29.com/news/free-confidential-hiv-testing-in-north-philadelphia-this-week
By Staff
PES Fire and Explosion
NBC10
Two air samples taken by the Philadelphia Health Department later Friday morning found that none of 61 chemical compounds tested were at unsafe levels, an official with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said.
By Staff
AP
The Department of Public Health says air sample testing at the 150-year-old refinery and surrounding community has found “no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfides.”
https://abc11.com/philadelphia-refinery-fire-continues-neighbors-react-to-explosions/5356529/
By Staff
CNBC
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health said that there is no danger in the surrounding community. It’s preliminary testing showed no signs of ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfides in the air samples.
By Maggie Fitzgerald
CNN
The city’s Department of Public Health Air Management Services Lab “is testing samples taken from up- and downwind of the refinery fire,” according to James Garrow, spokesman for the department.
The department will continue working with Philadelphia Energy Solutions to monitor air quality, Garrow said, before adding that he was “not aware of any immediate danger from the fire.”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/us/philadelphia-refinery-fire/index.html
By Jason Hanna, Madeline Holcomb, and Joe Sutton
Inquirer
“Preliminary testing both at the site of the refinery and in the adjacent community has shown no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbobutanens (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfide,” James Garrow, spokesperson for the health department, said in a statement.
By Frank Kummer
PhillyVoice
The Health Department does not have any findings indicating any danger at this time, spokesman James Garrow said in an email. Preliminary testing – both at the refinery and in the adjacent community – did not reveal any ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons or hydrogen sulfide.
By John Kopp
Vice
Philadelphia’s Public Health Department said in a tweet that the city’s Air Management Services took samples at the refinery and in the immediate community “found no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfides”—all toxic chemicals that are commonly found in oil refinery facilities.
By Caroline Haskins
WHYY
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health said in a statement that preliminary air sampling at the refinery and adjacent sites has shown no ambient carbon monoxide, combustible hydrocarbons or hydrogen sulfide.
By Staff
GridPhilly
“The Health Department has no findings that would point to any immediate danger in the surrounding community at this time, and the City is NOT recommending evacuation or shelter-in-place,” says Health Department spokesman James Garrow in the City’s press release.
By Alex Mulcahy
KYW
“The Health Department maintains a working relationship with PES. We maintain an air monitor close to the refinery that operates 24/7, receive notifications of exceedances of emission limits from them, and can and do issues notices of violations for exceedances. They are required to submit plans and models for their plants to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local air pollution regulations. With regard to today’s fire, the Health Department had inspectors on-scene as soon as possible taking samples and testing the air for immediate health hazards. The samples are currently being tested, and monitoring will continue.”
By Pat Loeb
CBS3
“Based on the result of samples taken this morning, the health department has no findings that would suggest there is a threat to the public health as a result of today’s fire,” department director with the Office of Emergency Management Noel Feleza said.
By Alexandria Hoff
Inquirer 2
City health spokesman James Garrow said the city took air quality samples both up- and downwind of the refinery. The samples were taken to the city’s Air Management Service Laboratory and were tested for 61 different chemical compounds, none of which were found to be at “or even near” harmful levels.
By Joseph Gambardello, Andrew Maykuth and Patricia Madej
NBC10 2 (6-23-19)
The Philadelphia Fire Department’s hazmat unit and the Department of Public Health will continue to test the air for any hazards.
So far, they have not found anything unsafe, officials said.
By Staff
KYW 2 (6-23-19)
“Preliminary testing both at the site of the refinery and in the adjacent community has shown no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfide,” James Garrow, spokesman for city’s Department of Public Health Air Management Services Lab said Friday.
By Kevin Wright and Pat Loeb
US News and World Report
City health officials said in the afternoon that there were no findings suggesting any dangers to the surrounding community, said Philadelphia Department of Public Health spokesman James Garrow in a statement. He said no HF was detected during monitoring outside of the refinery as well.
By Jarrett Renshaw
6ABC
Four hours after the explosions, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health tweeted, “No findings that would point to any immediate danger in the surrounding community.”
https://6abc.com/health/pollution-from-refinery-fire-could-irritate-asthma-copd-sufferers/5357361/
By Staff
Grist
According to city officials, Friday’s explosion has not worsened the air quality in or around the plant. James Garrow, the director for communications for Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health, said officials went to the refinery early Friday morning to collect up- and downwind samples and conduct airtime monitoring around the area. Garrow said they didn’t find any elevated levels of carbon monoxide and other combustibles in nearby communities. “Our readings told us that there was no threat to human health,” Garrow told Grist.
By Rachel Ramirez
Inquirer 3 (6-23-2019)
owever, Air Management Services, which also issues violations for air pollutants, has repeatedly flagged the refinery for its emissions in the recent past. It found the refinery had “High Priority Violations” of the Clean Air Act in nine of the last 12 quarters.
Garrow said High Priority Violations of the Clean Air Act “are those which warrant additional scrutiny to ensure local state and federal agencies respond in an appropriate manner.”
https://www.inquirer.com/science/climate/philadelphia-refinery-fire-pollution-history-20190624.html
By Frank Kummer
PhillyVoice 2 (6-23-2019)
The Philadelphia Department of Health tested the air quality on Friday. The department collected samples from up-wind and down-wind of the refinery and tested the air samples for 61 chemicals. According to the department, there were no compounds found to be “above, or even near, the levels set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists as safe for workers who are exposed every day for a lifetime.”
https://www.phillyvoice.com/refinery-fire-extinguished-philadelphia-energy-solutions/
By Virginia Streva
Philly Tribune
Health Department tests done Friday found no hazards in the air, city officials said.
By Jake Blumgart
NYTimes
The Philadelphia Health Department said that officials took air samples after the explosion on Friday and that preliminary tests had found no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons or hydrogen sulfides.
Other samples were being tested. The department said it had “no findings that would point to any immediate danger in the surrounding community at this time.”
By Sarah Mervosh
Curbed Philly
Philly’s Department of Public Health took samples of the air with hand monitors outside the plant and through the neighborhood, looking for hydrocarbons, combustibles, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. All tests came back negative, said the health department’s communications director James Garrow.
https://philly.curbed.com/2019/6/26/18759820/pes-refinery-shutdown-fire-land-remediation
By Anna Merriman
The Collected Works of Jim Garrow 