|
The central San Joaquin
Valley’s air quality will be the subject of the second “Maddy Report,” a
public affairs series produced by KSEE, Channel 24, with the Maddy
Institute at California State University, Fresno.
“From Bad to Worse or From Worse to Bad? The State of Air Quality in the
San Joaquin Valley” is scheduled to air on Fresno’s NBC affiliate at
6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10. A replay of the program is scheduled at
11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 14, on KSEE-24.
Mark Keppler, executive director of the Maddy Institute, will moderate.
The program, said Keppler, focuses on one of the region’s most pressing
issues: Unhealthful air quality, which causes higher incidence of asthma
attacks, lung cancer and heart failure than in other parts of the
nation. Studies show that air quality-related deaths, missed school and
work days cost about $3.2 billion annually.
Also at issue is the effort to clean up Valley air, which the San
Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District says won’t happen until
2023, 10 years later than the original goal for meeting federal clean
air standards, Keppler said.
Joining in Saturday’s discussion will be Seyed Sadredin, director of the
Air Pollution Control District; State Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter); Pete
Weber, chair of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley’s
Air Quality Work Group; and Kathryn Phillips of the Environmental
Defense Fund.
Participating from the Maddy Institute will be chair Don Jackson and
board members Jim Boren of The Fresno Bee and Diana Dooley of the
California Children's Hospital Association, and formerly president and
CEO of Children's Hospital Central California.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established at Fresno State in 1999
by the Legislature to honor State Sen. Ken Maddy, who had a 28-year
career in public service. The institute’s mission is to provide
nonpartisan, interdisciplinary, factual analysis of public policy issues
that have impact on the region and California.
The institute also provides practical training for local officials and
civic leaders, fellowships for Fresno State students with local state
and federal legislators and symposia and extension courses on public
policy and administration.
For more information, call 559.294.9119 or e-mail Keppler at
mkeppler@csufresno.edu.
|
