Portland, Multnomah County Pledge To Study Air Quality, Pollution

PORTLAND, OR — Seeking to improve air quality in Portland and Multnomah County, city and county officials on Wednesday announced they would collectively invest in studies they hope will provide options for mitigating potential industrial air pollutants in the area.

With only federal guidelines currently dictating air quality control, local leaders recognized the need to get proactive at the state level to ensure residents aren't poisoned by the air they breathe — a reality brought to light in 2016 when the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) first discovered Southeast Portland company Bullseye Glass and former North Portland company Uroboros Glass were responsible for emitting high percentages of cadmium and arsenic (and later lead as well) into the city's air.

Since the discovery, Uroboros Glass was sold off and moved to Mexico, and DEQ monitoring saw to the installation of new pollution controls at Bullseye Glass — which was further challenged after Gov. Kate Brown issued a 10-day cease and desist on production in May 2016.

"We need the Legislature to fully fund the Governor's Cleaner Air Oregon efforts and take steps to reduce air pollution from diesel emissions, industry and woodsmoke," Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said in a statement. "In addition, we need to understand what local regulatory options are available to protect people's health."

According to county spokeswoman Julie Sullivan-Springhetti, Kafoury and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on June 7 announced the City of Portland and Multnomah County will spend $120,000 to determine what those options are before then developing ways to resolve the problem.

"We need to know what is in the air our children are breathing," Kafoury said. "No one is served by an underfunded regulatory system."

Wheeler agreed.

"I made a pledge during the election that I would do what it took to protect the health of Portland residents from toxic air pollution," he said. "We need to explore all the tools that are available to us for protecting the health of our residents, particularly the most vulnerable."

While Gov. Brown launched Cleaner Air Oregon to close the gaps, Sullivan-Springhetti said, "(Kafoury and Wheeler) said that effort must be adequately funded and staffed to prevent further toxic hot spots and potential harm."

The Portland region has a good record of complying with federal guidelines for ozone and carbon monoxide control, she continued, but only recently began cracking down on limiting air toxins such as arsenic, cadmium, and other metals for which the federal government does not formally set limits. The Environmental Protection Agency typically leaves states to establish their own rules.

And a lingering question remains whether even the local leaders would have initiated interest in air quality were it not for the 2016 revelation.

"At a time when the Environmental Protection Agency faces significant reductions it is more important than ever for us to step up to protect our environment," County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson said. "Oregonians deserve a statewide solution. When the health of our community is at stake, we can't afford to wait and hope others will act on our behalf."

Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties, regional governmental body Metro, and the cities of Portland, Milwaukie, and Hillsboro have been meeting regularly with Oregon DEQ and Oregon Health Authority officials to learn more about air pollution and its impact on human health, Sullivan-Springhetti said.

"Our air is not as clean as people would be led to believe by looking at our beautiful surroundings," said Metro Council President Tom Hughes. "More needs to be done if we are going to deliver on the promise of clean air."

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