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5.9 PUBLIC HEALTH Gas Association has determined to be acceptable, as well as being below the ACGIH17 TLV 18 and STEL 19 values of 25 and 35 ppm respectively (adopted 2003). Therefore, potential ammonia emissions would not create a significant odor. Other combustion contaminants are not present at concentrations that could produce a significant odor. 5.9.4.8 Electromagnetic Field Exposure LEC will connect to the existing NCPA switchyard next to the existing NCPA power plant. The project will include additional onsite electric power handling transformers and associated equipment,which are discussed in more detail in Section 3.0. Based on recent findings of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS, 1999), electromagnetic field exposures from the electric power handling equipment would not result in a significant impact on public health. The NIEHS report to the U.S. Congress found that"the probability that EMF exposure is truly a health hazard is currently small. The weak epidemiological associations and lack of any laboratory support for these associations provide only marginal scientific support that exposure to this agent is causing any degree of harm"(NIEH 1999). 5.9.4.9 Summary of Impacts Results from the health risk assessment based on emissions modeling indicate that there will be no significant incremental public health risks from construction or operation of the proposed project. Results from criteria pollutant modeling for routine operations indicate that potential ambient concentrations of NO2, CO,SO2, and PM10 would not exceed ambient air quality standards,with the exception of the state PM10 and PM2.5 standards. For these pollutants, existing 24-hour and annual average PM10 and PM2.5 background concentrations already exceed applicable standards,while the project would not add a significant contribution. The ambient air quality standards protect public health with a margin of safety for the most sensitive subpopulations (Section 5.1). 5.9.5 Cumulative Effects An analysis of potential cumulative air quality impacts that may result from the LEC and other reasonably foreseeable projects is required by the CEC. The following requirements for other projects to qualify for cumulative air quality impact analysis were submitted to the SJVAPCD in a request letter on June 19,2008: • Projects located within a six-mile radius of the LEC project site;and • Projects issued a new Authority to Construct permit after July 1,2007 The SJVAPCD responded with a list,from which one facility potentially satisfied these requirements.20 As indicated in the District's letter.The applicant has now applied to install a different engine than the one for which the ATC was issued, and no information is yet available regarding the engine that will actually be installed. Therefore,the only required cumulative impacts analysis for either criteria pollutants or TACs is an evaluation of the 17 American Congress of Government Industrial Hygienists 18 Threshold Limit Value 19 Short-Term Exposure Level 20 Copies of the correspondence with the District is provided in Appendix 5.1 G. 5.9-20 SAC/371322/082340007(LEC_5.9_PUBLIC_HEALTH.DOC)