Why do we and others want to stop expansion at London City Airport? That little matter of health is rather important us, even if it isn't to LCY (and its supporters) who are allegedly hiding air quality readings from the GMB who accuse them of a toxic terminal!Well here's some toxic evidence for you:
Health in the areas around the airport:
The Biggest killers in the London Borough of Newham are: in order;
1.Cancer
2.Chronic obstructive pulmonary
3.Stroke
4.Pneumonia
5.COPD
6.Asthma
The 2001 Census reported that 26,000 people (10.5% of total population) in Newham live with a long term limiting illness; including 4,000 under 19, and 12,500 aged 65 and over
Newham has higher than average infant mortality and the gap is widening
Higher than average respiratory diseases
Highest level of mortality rates in under 30s with asthma in the whole country
Higher than average mortality rates from asthma, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary (CHC) disease than London and England
Higher than average infant mortality rates: Newham has above average levels for London and England – with the gap widening, not narrowing
Comparative evidence of the connections of these illnesses to aircraft pollution:
Taken from campaign group LEAD: http://www.lead.org.au/Lanv7n3/L73-4.html
“The area heavily contaminated by a light to medium traffic two runway airport is approximately 12 miles around the field and 20 miles or more downwind. A single runway equipped airport with light to medium traffic contaminates an area about 6 miles around the field and 20 downwind”.
Extract of "Airports: Deadly Neighbors" by Charles R. Miller
What kinds of health effects may be occurring to the population in your neighborhood can be seen from a report, dated June 20, 1997 to the Georgetown Crime Prevention and Community Council by the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health.
Georgetown is an area of Seattle, and surrounds the King County International Airport (Boeing Field), King County, in turn, surrounds greater Seattle. (The Georgetown Council is a sister organization to AReCO and member of US-CAW (United States Citizens Aviation Watch). When comparing hospitalization rates for Georgetown (Zip Code 98108) to those of King and North King Counties, the following, alarming statistics resulted:
a 57% higher asthma rate
a 28% higher pneumonia/influenza rate
a 26% higher respiratory disease rate
an 83% higher pregnancy complication rate
a 50% higher infant mortality rate
genetic diseases are statistically higher
mortality rates are 48% higher for all causes of death: 57% higher for heart disease, a 36% higher cancer death rate with pneumonia and influenza among the top five leading causes average life expectancy 70.4 years (the same as in many developing nations) compared to Seattle's of 76.0 years.
Can you see any similarities there? It's hard not to see them. Still the aviation industry will keep telling you how clean and green they are, Peter Simpson of City Flyer is one of those who should be answerable to those individuals in the area around London City who are ill from the effect of his business seeking more profits, whilst air limits already exceed EU recommended levels by 50%.
