Environmental Assessment of the City of El Cerrito, CA: Creek, Trash and Air Quality Analysis

Abstract:

The City of El Cerrito, CA is located within Western Contra Costa County and adjacent to the San

Francisco Bay. Local land-uses that affect its overall public and environmental health include major

freeways, railways, and commercial and industrial zones. In an effort to assess the overall health of the

local environment, students at Korematsu Middle School conducted a comprehensive analysis that

included street litter auditing, water monitoring of Cerritos Creek and air quality measurements made

along local streets.

In 2014 the City of El Cerrito adopted a long-term trash plan that included strategies for reducing trash

loads of local stormwater sewer systems. This plan called for load reduction of 70% by July 1, 2017 and

100% by July 1, 2022. To evaluate the effectiveness of the trash plan, our team quantified and scored

trash concentration levels at two locations—one in a residential neighborhood and the other in a

commercial zone. We also monitored water quality at nearby Cerritos Creek to investigate the impacts

that each area’s trash concentrations had on water quality. We also monitored particulate matter (PM)

concentration levels in air within these locations to determine whether or not differences exist between

residential and commercial areas.

Preliminary analysis of litter data suggests that the Long Term Trash Plan has thus far been effective in

reducing concentrations of street litter along San Pablo Avenue, which is located within a major

commercial zone, but has been inadequate in reducing trash in nearby parks. Water quality results

indicate that Cerritos Creek contains waters that are quite healthy with respect to Ammonia and Nitrate

concentration levels (i.e., very low values for every sample collected). However, elevated concentration

levels of Phosphates were detected in every sample collected. Air quality data surprisingly revealed that

extremely high PM concentration levels occur in air surrounding a residential park in El Cerrito.