#MiddleburyCT #DistributionCenter #DieselTrucks #StraitsTurnpike
To the Editor:
This letter is in response to the proposed Distribution Center on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury. The recent article I had read indicated that there may be as many as 300 or more tractor trailers using Straits Turnpike on a daily basis.
An 18-wheel tractor trailer using diesel fuel emits approximately 1,200 to 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide daily. Let’s not forget approximately 80,000 vehicles per day (my estimate) crossing Rt 63 and Rt 64 and the safety of people trying to exit Richardson Drive to go into town. However, we know that carbon dioxide in an open-air environment quickly dilutes into the atmosphere.
The true health hazard comes from the toxic diesel exhaust co-pollutants emitted by tractor trailer trucks. I believe there is a definitive health concern with this distribution proposal.
According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, here is what we can expect health wise with respect to a large population of heavy-duty rigs traveling Straits Turnpike:
- PM2.5 (Fine Diesel Soot): Microscopic particles pass directly into the lungs and bloodstream.
- Asthma Aggravation: Inhaling soot triggers immediate wheezing and severe asthma attacks.
- Cardiovascular Stress: Long-term exposure increases localized heart attack and stroke risks.
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): This gas undergoes chemical reactions to form ground-level ozone.
- Airway Inflammation: High NOx levels severely burn and irritate human lung tissue.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO): Trapped street-level gas reduces oxygen delivery to the body’s organs.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and environmental studies, heavy vehicle pollution zones heavily impact anyone spending time within 300 to 500 meters of the roadway. Children walking and playing on school grounds, elderly residents, and individuals with pre-existing lung or heart conditions will experience the sharpest drop in health and air quality. Most importantly, there will be bottle necks with traffic trying to get through Straits Turnpike, causing the idling of truck motors creating a greater hazard.
I ask our local and state officials to re-think the distribution facility proposal. Further studies should be developed. New locations should be considered. Those people who live close to this proposed facility would be in danger of failing health.
Sam D’Ambruoso
Middlebury, CT
