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33 <br /> Dr. Jon H.Arvik <br /> 213 Weldon Ridge Court <br /> Durham,NC 27705 <br /> 919-597-8891 <br /> jharvik(a,aol.com <br /> July 18,2012 <br /> To the Board of County Commissioners: <br /> Bernadette Pelissier, Chair <br /> Pam Hemminger,Vice Chair <br /> Valerie Foushee, Commissioner <br /> Alice Gordon, Commissioner <br /> Barry Jacobs, Commissioner <br /> Earl McKee, Commissioner <br /> Steve Yuhasz, Commissioner <br /> Cc: Craig Benedict,Director, <br /> Orange County Planning and Inspections Department <br /> I have recently addressed you in person during the citizen's input sessions of the <br /> BOCC, and have also participated in the Planning Department's input sessions. These <br /> contacts were about my concerns with the proposed rezoning and land use status of the <br /> Eno Economic Development (EDD) program. To follow up on lessons I have learned <br /> during those discussions, I met with your Planning staff and have had contacts with <br /> County and State health and environmental authorities. I hasten to thank all of the <br /> members of the BOCC, the Department Heads and staffs of several of the County <br /> Departments, and members of the Planning Committee who have taken the time to <br /> inform and guide me in the ways of the County administrative processes. These processes <br /> are little different from those I have encountered throughout my professional career while <br /> working with similar agencies. <br /> I am distressed to find that though Orange County has a strong program for <br /> protection of it's water quality, we do not have comparable efforts in terms of protections <br /> of our residents from airborne materials. Our County Codes state that we will rely on the <br /> State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) <br /> regulations, yet there are no DENR air sampling facilities in the County or within <br /> reasonable distances of the existing EDD residential areas. Those that are active do not <br /> sample a broad range of types of materials, nor are State sampling resources utilized by <br /> the County to obtain data upon which our authorities can base planning decisions. <br /> The DENR air quality programs depend highly upon specific fixed-location <br /> facilities that are adequate for broad-area snapshots, but are inadequate for the <br /> consideration of localized airborne particulates of types of minerals and suspended <br /> organic materials which are recognized as significant human health hazards. <br /> Examples of the results of inhalation of these toxins include pulmonary cancers, <br /> asthma, emphysema, allergic reactions, cardiac diseases and a multitude of other <br /> respiratory problems (please see Appendix I for additional information). Numerous <br />