LETTERS
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Cost of air
filters small price to pay
The article on air filters
coupled with the editorial in the Aug. 3 edition prompted me to attend the
public hearing on Aug. 4. I found the meeting to be both informative and thought
provoking. Amy Jo Brown’s article in today’s paper gives a balanced and comprehensive
account of the meeting. It does not however, mention the most significant
information presented at the meeting.
The baseline fatality risk factor for the area under discussion
is 1 in 270,000; with evacuation today it is 1 in 290,000; and with shelter
in place and recirculating air filters the fatality risk factor is projected
to be 1 in 1,260,000.
Assuming that the risk factor information in the presentation is
correct, this represents a phenomenal mitigation in fatality risk factor which
can be achieved at a reasonable cost.
In my more than 25 years experience in commercial aircraft (both
in flight and post crash) fire risk mitigation, I never encountered a reduction
in risk factor close to this magnitude even at exorbitant cost.
One of the commissioners, I believe it was Bill Hansell, mentioned
there was information in the presentation that he had not seen before. The
commissioners should find the dramatic reduction in fatality risk factor provided
by the air recirculating filters persuasive enough to go ahead and fund the
program.
Albert Stewart
Pendleton