Fontana

Breathe Free

Riza Apuan
Los Angeles Pacific University
MPH 530 | Dr. Mark Robinson
27-April-2020
 Introduction
“Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Founded by Azariel Blanchard Miller in 1913, it
remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in
the area. It is now a regional hub of the trucking industry, with Interstate 10 and State Route 210
transecting the city from east to west, and Interstate 15 passing diagonally through its northwestern
quadrant.

It is home of a renovated historic theater, a municipal park, and the Auto Club Speedway on the site of
the Kaiser Steel Mill. Fontana also hosts the Fontana Days Half Marathon and 5K run. This race is the
fastest half-marathon course in the world.

The United States Census Bureau estimated Fontana's 2018 population at 213,739, making it the
second-most populous city in San Bernardino County and the 19th largest in the state. The
name fontana is Italian for fountain or water source, being in close proximity to the Santa Ana River to
the east”("Fontana, California", 2020).

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 Background
Since 2000, the city has been rapidly growing, once a rural area, it has now
become the crossroads of the Inland Empire. Economic growth is on the rise as
evidenced by the many infrastructures, housing developments and businesses,
however, the urbanization of the city impacted the environment with less land
being farmed, wildlife driven away , citizens getting exposed to pollutants
especially air pollution from the commercial trucks passing through.

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 Air Pollution
What is air “ the presence of toxic chemicals or compounds (including those of biological origin) in
pollution the air, at levels that pose a health risk. In an even broader sense, air pollution means the
presence of chemicals or compounds in the air which are usually not present and which
lower the quality of the air or cause detrimental changes to the quality of life (such as the
damaging of the ozone layer or causing global warming” ("What Is Air Pollution:
Environmental Pollution Centers", n.d.).
Causes Man : transportation, construction, mining, agriculture to name a few
Natural: wildfires, volcanic eruptions etc.

Examples Carbon monoxide from vehicle combustion, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds,
radioactive pollutant, ammonia, etc.

Effects “Air pollution has serious effects on the human health. Depending on the level of exposure
and the type of pollutant inhaled, these effects can vary, ranging from simple symptoms
like coughing and the irritation of the respiratory tract to acute conditions like asthma and
chronic lung diseases.
Skin problems and irritations can develop due to prolonged exposure to several air
pollutants, and a variety of cancer forms may develop after inhaling air contaminants”
("What Is Air Pollution: Environmental Pollution Centers", n.d.).

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 Comparison Chart
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According to a report published in 2018
by the Fontana City Council, “Fontana Fontana
has a higher-than-average rates of 15 California 16.6
asthma, 16.6% diagnosed as compared USA
14.2

PERCENTAGE
to 14.2% in California and 13.4% across 13.4

the United States” ("Building a 10

Healthier Fontana", 2018).

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 The Problem

Being the center of the trucking industry, the negative impact of air
pollution is evidenced by exacerbation of respiratory ailments and
the higher rate of asthma cases as compared to the over-all rate in
the state of California and of the country.

The negative environmental and health outcomes brought by air

pollution must be addressed with robust preventative measures that
can be sustained with robust implementation plans and monitoring
systems.

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 • Improve air quality.

• Have built environments that are environment friendly.

•Use fuel alternative like solar power.

Goals
• Use of clean air /hybrid/electric vehicles.

•Decrease asthma rates.

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 • Plan, develop and implement • Plan, develop and implement
new systems that measures monitoring systems to keep tabs
health outcomes. of air quality.

• Join forces with local leaders,

• Work with with local, state and
Strategies federal entities by continuing to
schools, churches and businesses
in raising awareness of the ills of
support air quality initiatives
air pollution

• Promote a healthy lifestyle by

encouraging citizens to be • Advocate the use of local
physically active and eat healthy public transportation.
foods.

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 We are here today because we are taking the first steps for a
healthier Fontana. Any initiative even with its great goals
will go nowhere unless it starts somewhere.

That somewhere is here and now. Let us make this happen.

Let us build a healthy Fontana.

Thank you very much.

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 References

Buildiing a Healthier Fontana. (2018) (pp. 6.1–6.15). Fontana, CA. Retrieved from

https://www.fontana.org/DocumentCenter/View/26745/Chapter-6---Building-a-

Healthier-Fontana

Fontana, California. (2020, April 20). Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana,_California

What Is Air Pollution: Environmental Pollution Centers. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/air/

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