Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 26, 2014

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 26, 2014 

MONITORING STATION TO MEASURE PM10 FROM 
VULCAN MINING ACTIVITY UP AND RUNNING 

Public Can Now View Real-Time Data of Air Quality on

AccessDuarte.com Webpage 

An air quality monitoring station installedadjacent to Valley View School to keep tabs on anyunhealthful PM10 particulate matter emanatingfrom Vulcan Materials mining activity aboveDuarte is up and running. So is a dedicated web 
page on the City’s website where Duarte residentscan monitor the quality of air they are breathingvia real time data of hourly and 24-hour averagesof PM10. Data from the monitoring stationstreams live to the SCAQMD where it is analyzedfor quality control, then sent to the City of Duarteand made available for the public on the City’swww.accessduarte.com website. 

Michael Cacciotti, the South Coast Air 
Quality Management District Board memberrepresenting Duarte and Jason Low, Atmospheric 
Measurements Manager for the SCQAMD joined 
Duarte Mayor Liz Reilly and City Manager DarrellGeorge at Valley View School to provide residentsand other interested parties with an overview of 
the monitoring station and its operation, and totour the monitoring station area located on landabove the school. 

“We are the only city to have an air quality 
monitoring station and the only city with the 
ability to provide our residents with real time 
data on an hourly basis,” said George. He creditedthe collaboration of all who worked togetherfor the good of the community, including theschool district, AQMD, and the CommunityDevelopment Department.

Low urged residents to remain engaged 
and proactive in reporting excessive dust comingfrom the mining area. “If high winds are blowingVulcan should not be active,” Low said. Residents 
should record the activity with a photo, orpreferably a video, then call the AQMD at 1-800788-
7664 with a complaint. Based on a minimumnumber of complaints, as few as six, complianceofficers who are on duty 24 hours a day, will bedispatched to inspect the reported violation.

The South Coast Air Quality Management 
District (SCAQMD) began installation of 
the monitoring station in October 2013 at the request 
of the City of Duarte following court decisions 
that cleared the way for Vulcan to expand its 
mining operations to Van Tassel Ridge above Duarte 
homes and schools. Vulcan intends to extract 

105.6 million tons of aggregate from the mountain 
over the next 24 years. 
The addition of a full meteorological towerto accurately measure wind conditions installed inApril made the monitoring station fully functionalproviding continuous monitoring and real time 
reporting including hourly averages of PM10levels. 

PM10 is particulate matter that is everything 
less than 10 micrometers in size (25 to 100 
times thinner than a human hair), the byproduct 
of crushing and grinding rocks and soil. PM10 are 
blown by the wind and can stay in the air for minutes 
or hours and travel as little as 100 yards or 
up to 30 miles. Inhalation of PM10 particles can 
pose a danger to respiratory health because they 
can lodge deep in the lungs. 

Low noted that data gathered from the 
Duarte monitoring station from January to March2014 measured the 24-hour average of PM10levels to below California and federal standards. 
PM10 levels are measured in micrograms percubic meter. The state considers PM 10 levels up 
to 50 micrograms per cubic meter, good. Underfederal standards, which governs, the threshold is 
150 micrograms per cubic meter.

SCAQMD estimates the cost for the first 
year of monitoring at the site to be approximately 
$50,000. Specifically, costs include: $6,500 site 
preparation, $36,500 for equipment and $7,000 for 
operation and maintenance. The SCAQMD has 
committed to installing and operating the system 
at its own expense for the first twelve months of 
operation. The City will then take over the costs 
of the station’s maintenance and operation while 
transitioning the task to an SCAQMD approved 
technical consultant. 

SCAQMD is also negotiating with the City 
of Azusa to set up another monitoring station location 
in that city to further improve the ability to 
monitor PM10 dust emanating from Vulcan mining 
activity

Duarte fought a long and costly battle to 
stop the City of Azusa from allowing Vulcan to 
move mining operations from a previously approved 
80 acres on the east side of its 270 acre 
property to 80 acres on the west side, above Duarte 
homes. In February 2013, the State Court of Appeals 
upheld a Superior Court ruling of May 2012 
against Duarte’s lawsuit that challenged the validity 
of the Environmental Impact Report. 

MAY 3 DINNER & A SHOW TO BENEFIT MUSIC AT ST. LUKE’S 
EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MONROVIA 

Monrovia Police Blotter 

Highlighted Activity for April 21-23, 2014 

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 462 service events, resulting in 98 
investigations. To see a complete listing of crimes reported, go to http://www.crimemapping.com/map/
ca/monrovia for crime mapping. For Police Department news and information, visit our website and 
follow us on Twitter. 

Vehicle Burglary 
April 21 at 3:29 p.m., the victim of a vehicle burglary came to the police lobby to report her vehicle 
had been broken into while parked in the 400 block of East Colorado. She noticed that the rubber seal 
around the driver’s door had been pushed in and the vehicle was ransacked. It appears nothing was 
taken. The investigation is continuing. 


Theft – Catalytic Converter 
On April 21 at 4:52 p.m., a theft was reported in the 700 block of Montana. The victim came into the 
police lobby to report that someone had stolen the catalytic converter off his vehicle. The victim went 
out to start his vehicle and heard a loud noise. He drove his vehicle to a mechanic, who told him that 
the catalytic converter was missing off his vehicle. The investigation is continuing. 


Theft from a Vehicle 
On April 21 at 8:15 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Montana on the 
report of a theft from a vehicle. The vehicle was left unlocked and the victim's black iPhone was stolen. 
The investigation is continuing. 


Petty Theft – Two Bicycles 
On April 9:23 p.m., a theft of two bicycles was reported in the 100 block of Montana. The bicycles 
were stolen from a rear carport. The theft occurred sometime between 4:00 p.m. on April 20 and 7:00 


a.m. on April 21. The investigation is continuing. 
Fraud / Identity Theft – Two Suspects Arrested 
On April 21 at 11:53 p.m., an officer responded to a hotel in the 700 block of West Huntington regarding 
two hotel guests that checked into a room with stolen credit card information. Upon arrival, 
officers located the suspects inside a hotel room. They conducted an investigation and located stolen 
credit cards, stolen mail from several locations, ledgers containing personal information, and credit 
applications. The two suspects were arrested and taken into custody. 


Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested 
On April 22 at 12:27 a.m., an officer conducted a domestic violence investigation involving a female 
that punched her defenseless fiancé several times in the face. The male subject is recovering from an 
injury he received in a motorcycle accident. The female suspect left the location. The officer contacted 
the female suspect on the phone and convinced her to turn herself in to police. She admitted to the 
crime and was taken into custody. 


Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested 
April 22 at 1:00 a.m., an officer was sent to a hotel in the 700 block of West Huntington regarding a 
female associate of the fraud suspects that were arrested in the above fraud incident. The female was 
contacted, but was not linked to fraud case. The officer found the female to be in possession of a straw 
used to inhale methamphetamine. She was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. 


Battery / Warrant – Suspect Arrested 
April 22 at 8:00 a.m., a disturbance between a mother and daughter was reported in the 700 block of 
South Monterey. The mother had claimed the daughter hit her in the leg with a fist. Officers arrived, 
but the mother had left the location. The daughter was found to have a warrant and was arrested. 


Vandalism 
April 22 at 8:31 a.m., a caller reported an incident of vandalism in the 1300 block of South Myrtle. The 
caller reported blue graffiti on the wall facing Montana. The investigation is continuing. 


Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested 
April 22 at 1:23 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington regarding 
a shoplifter being detained. Through investigation, the officer determined the female suspect 
had taken a large empty purse into the store, concealed merchandise in the purse and exited the store. 
She was arrested for burglary and taken into custody. 


Driving Under the Influence Warrant – Suspect Arrested 


3

On April 22 at 8:30 a.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 200 block of South Madison on a 
disturbance between a male and female subject. When the officer arrived, he conducted a computer 
check, which revealed the male subject had an outstanding DUI warrant for his arrest. The warrant 
was issued by the Pasadena Police Department. The subject was arrested for the warrant. Pasadena 
was notified and officers responded and took custody of the subject. 

April 25, 2014 — St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Monrovia is inviting the public to a special Dinner & 
A Show on Saturday, May 3, at 6 p.m. at the church. Proceeds from the $25 per person ticket donation 
are earmarked for the purchase of a concert grand piano for St. Luke's music program. 

The evening will begin with dinner and a silent auction in the church’s Swan Hall, followed by a concert 
in the sanctuary by members of the St. Luke’s Choir and special guests. A dessert reception will 
follow. 

“The music program at St. Luke’s is decidedly ambitious for a parish of its size,” says Kent B. Jones, 
the church’s Director of Music. “We have been blessed with an excellent pipe organ, a massive music 
library, a choir of fine musicians with genuine camaraderie, and world-class acoustics. We also have 
a congregation that appreciates the choir’s work and has a taste for excellence in music." Mr. Jones, 
the church’s choir director and organist, has BSEd, BMEd, and MEd degrees from the University of 
Delaware. He has composed many descants and Anglican chants for the choir as well as anthems and 
much of the choir’s Evensong music. 

Those who are unable to attend but would like to support the music program may mail donations 
to the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 122 South California Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016, with “Music 
Fundraiser” noted on the check. For more information, email stlukesmonrovia@gmail.com. 

About St. Luke’s 

With roots in Monrovia dating to the 1890s, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is an inclusive church that wel-
comes all to its community — a safe place for skeptics and doubters as well as firm believers. Communion 
is offered freely as “strength for the journey” to anyone who comes with a sincere heart to receive it. The 
landmark 1924 Romanesque church is located at California Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in Monro-
via. Eucharist services are held on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and on Wednesdays at 12:10 p.m. The 
Reverend Neil Tadken is Priest-in-Charge. The church’s website is saintlukesmonrovia.org.