We know that Oregon has high levels of naturally occurring arsenic. We also know that it is emitted by polluters: metal processing specifically contributes over 60% of the human-caused arsenic emissions according to DEQ source material for the Portland Air Toxics Solutions; it also comes from agricultural pesticides and soil dust, as well as combusted fuel from vehicles. We know it is classified as a KNOWN (Class A) human carcinogen. We know that arsenic is one of 15 air toxicants that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality identified as being up to 10x over health-based benchmarks in the Portland Metro air shed. What we don’t know: How is this affecting my child? Are our children safe?
Posts Categorized: USA Today
Revisiting The Smokestack Effect
In March 2009, I stumbled across a report on the internet published by USA Today called the Smokestack Effect. It was a ground breaking study that cross-referenced the federal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data with school sitings, ranking the schools at greatest risk of cancer and non-cancer health effects due to air toxic exposures. The… 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 »
Right to Know
“Every American has the right to know the chemicals to which they may be exposed in their daily living. Right-to-know laws provide information about possible chemical exposures.” EPA website: Protect the Environment: Learn about your right to know. A recent NW Examiner article documenting the contradictions and discrepencies in the emissions reports from ESCO Corp…. Read more »
Environmental Justice and Industrial Pollution
I went to two environmental Town Hall Meetings this week. The first, on the joint city/county Climate Action Plan in North Portland sponsored by the Urban League; and the second, sponsored by the Attorney General John Kroger to discuss his newly funded environmental crime division, along the banks of the Tualatin River in the town… Read more »