Mr. Jim Karas and his colleague Mr. Fred Tanaka spent three days in Portland last week. Their time was primarily spent at ESCO to tour the facility and observe operations. Neighborhood representatives were given the opportunity to meet with Mr. Karas and Mr. Tanaka prior to their visit to ESCO Monday morning at DEQ headquarters. … Read more »
Posts Categorized: air toxics
Good Neighbor Agreement
Air pollution problems are inherently local, the worst of them manifesting in “Toxic Hot Spots.” Yet this is specifically the area where the Clean Air Act and the state regulatory framework has failed to protect citizens. If direct citizen negotiation is still considered the most effective means of addressing local toxic hot spots, citizens need stronger public advocates to work on their behalf. Portland should look to the spirit of what the Houston Mayor did, which was to say, the city is the best entity to look out for the equitable protection of all its citizens and should be creative in its ideas of how to engage on the issue.
The public meeting the public wasn’t invited to.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has often taken the chance to sing the praises of citizens who are actively engaged in the effort to advocate for cleaner air. Just this past week, the NW Examiner’s April edition came out with a letter from Andy Ginsburg praising Paul Koberstein’s interest in air quality and the… Read more »
Why I support Rex Burkholder for Metro President
I think it would be a misrepresentation to call this an official endorsement, as if I was in a position to offer meaningful weight, so let’s stick with political musing. I intend only to share my thoughts, and encourage all of you to choose your candidates wisely, vote with purpose, and to remind the candidates… Read more »
Why BPA and Air Toxics are linked
Our friend at USA Today, Blake Morrison, has just published an article covering the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) damning report on chemical policies released this past week. The report was an assessment of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) performance over the past decade in regards to safeguarding our children from toxic chemicals. Morrison reports: “Top… Read more »