In the eight years that the Thomas family have been living on the corner of Eighth and Forest streets, countless barbecues have been canceled and all four family members have been forced to seek refuge from what Sabrina Thomas believes is polluted air.
For Sabrina, it is the onset of a blinding headache that sets off alarm bells in her head. Her husband Troy and youngest daughter Jacquelyn, 9, struggle to breathe in what they believe to be fume-filled air that sometimes drifts over their property.
“We can’t stay out long,” said a visibly irate Sabrina, as she stood outside her home Monday. “Jacquelyn and Troy’s breathing is really bad. It provokes their asthma.”
The Thomas family home is located on the south side of Gilroy, where the old-fashioned heart of the city gives way to an industrial hinterland, and residential properties lie cheek by jowl with local manufacturing businesses. Tucked behind Alexander Street, the Thomas’ place is a stone’s throw from Mission Powder Coating Inc., the two-man operation Sabrina blames for the headaches and breathing problems besetting her family.
“I’m concerned about my health,” Sabrina said.
Why the mother of two is blaming Mission Powder Coating Inc. is a mystery to Ignacio Magana, the business’s owner since 2003.
“There are three other companies around here that use chemicals,” Magana reasoned. “If there is something escaping our building I want to know about it.”
Kristi Abrams, community development director for the City, confirmed the City’s chemical control department had conducted inspections on May 21 and May 22.
On June 3 the City inspected the business again, this time with an inspector from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
“The City has come and done a walk-though, we even offered to show them our security tapes,” Magana said.
Results showed that Mission Powder Coating Inc. is failing to keep its nuisance dust under control, but is not responsible for the chemical smell in the air.
Poor housekeeping and broken equipment, explained Gilroy Fire Marshall Jackie Bretschneider, has allowed dust from sandblasting to escape.
Magana has agreed to comply with all of the required changes to contain the dust, to not sandblast until equipment is repaired and to clean up any dust from outside areas, she added.
Still, Magana draws attention to the fact that all of the powder coating is done at the front of the building, behind closed doors and away from local residents. He is aware that Sabrina snapped a photo that purports to show a cloud of vapor rising from open doors on the rear of the premises.
“We had one part that was too big to go into the shop,” Magana said. “We sprayed it with 409 cleaner.”
He does concede, however, that temporary use of a diesel generator while the regular electric one is repaired might have annoyed some neighbors.
“If someone comes and tell me that I’m making too much noise, then I’ll do something about it,” promised Magana.
The process of powder coating involves sandblasting a metal object, running an electrical current through the object, applying paint flakes with an opposite charge, and then baking it on an oven to melt the paint into a smooth coat.
Bretschneider says that powder coating is a very high quality way to paint a metal part without using solvents or creating emissions. Still, she’s concerned by Sabrina’s claim.
The City doesn’t have a “specific, proactive entity” to deal with nuisance emissions, explained Bretschneider, but the City’s code enforcement officers can make checks to see if industrial regulations – such as keeping doors shut while sandblasting and powder coating – are being maintained. She recommends calling the BAAQMD – a public agency that regulates stationary sources of air – the moment someone sees an emission.
“We need to substantiate claims,” she added. “When it leaves a trail, we will have knowledge.”
Magana says he isn’t worried by any inspection orchestrated by the City or outside agencies.
The fact that no solvents go into the air in the powder coating process, explained Magana, should point the finger of blame somewhere else.
“That’s why they call it ‘Green’ paint,” Magna asserted, referring to the fact that no volatile organic chemicals – or VOCs as they are more commonly known – go into the atmosphere.
As for minute white flecks on Sabrina’s car that she believes are escaping his business, Magana says he is more than willing to have Bonfante Collision Center of Gilroy take a look to figure out exactly what they are.
“I’m not an expert in paint, I’m an expert in powder coating,” he said.
