Mr. Mike Booth, who works for the Johnson County Environmental Department (JCED), reports that the German manufacturer of the paints used by the autobody paint shop near 162nd and Metcalf has provided the ingredients for the paints. This allows him to continue with the dispersion modeling study. The study will analyze what pollutants are emitted by the paint shop and what the concentrations of the pollutants will be as they are dispersed over neighborhoods, taking into account such factors as winds.
The study should be completed in 3 to 4 weeks.
When asked if the EPA could also conduct baseline measurements of current pollution levels, Mike responded that it would be too expensive to do the complete set of measurements necessary to make it worthwhile, since there are so many factors involved. He also believed it was more effective to do the dispersion modeling.
The EPA, in an unrelated effort, is working with Johnson County and Miami County to take measurements of volatile organic compound concentrations in the atmosphere at three points. A total of about 60 measurements would be taken. One set would be in Miami County to establish a baseline (presumably Miami County has relatively unpolluted air). The other two sets of measurements would be in Johnson County, one at 78th and Hadley, the other at 61st and Anne Avenue.