air quality of farmington nm
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11/22/2010
I wold like to correct you on your rating of air quality in Farmington, NM. For the past few years the air quality was rated as a "1" on Sperling's bestplaces.net. This was a correct rating. Now, Farmington, NM is rated as an 86.1. As the former Public Health Educator for the Department of Health in Farmington, New Mexico in San Juan County, I was hired to do undercover work to research the emission of the third worst coal-fired power plants, two of them that reside in that area. The emissions cause about 80% of th children in San Juan County, especially the Navajo children on the Shiprock reservation, to have asthma, not to mention the effects on the adults health also - devastating health effects. I worked with an Epidemiologist that had a Doctorate degree, who confirmed these findings. I also worked with Jan Schlichtman, an environmental attorney of whom they made the movie "A Civil ActionSuit" who actually came to Farmingtonto assist me and an attorney friend to enlighten the community about the emissions of these plants and their effects on the health of thecitizens of the county. Thedepartmen of theEnvironment of the State of New Mexico was hiding the true emission count, and the environmental engineer that I interviewed then refused to be honest with me about the power plants. as he measured the emissions on a daily basis - araticles were placed in the Daily Times, thelocal newspaper about how horrible the emissions are. One of the plants was recently sued by theSierra Club and changegd some of their technologies, however, Farmingtonand the surrounding areas have devasting aira quality - it is a known fact by some of the enlightened citizens. Because of the good old politics of the area, this is covered up and not acknowledged, edpecially because thepower plants donate money to non-profit organizations. It is a blatantlie that the air quality of Farmington is an 86.1 - it isnot possible and I wonder who donated the information - I feel it was just a move to make the area more attractive to tourists orindividuals who are interested in relocatin there - many people that I knew personally died shortly after moving to Farmington and I myself became very ill from the aiar, whichis not a good combination with the altitude and endless amount of traffic and caremission coming from the reservation and other areas. Please let the public know th truth about this area. It was one of the most horrible places I ever lived in - yes it has many interesting aspects such as the Anasazi ruins and geological formations - but between the air quality and the severly Christian environment, of which many individuals were basically hatefuland destructive, that called themselves Christians, I would stay away from Farmington - Albuquerque or Santa Fe are better examples of what New Mexico really is.
Iris | Mishawaka, IN