OREGON'S AIR AND AIR QUALITY

Air and Air Quality

In 1980, only 30% of Oregonians lived in clean air areas that met national health standards for air pollution. Today, all areas in Oregon meet these standards. This success is the result of clean air strategies developed by Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with the participation of affected communities, businesses and citizens. DEQ is also addressing another group of pollutants, air toxics, that has emerged as a serious concern. Many areas of the state have air toxics that are above EPA health-based benchmarks. Air toxics have serious health effects such as cancer and nervous system damage, but there are currently no national health standards for these pollutants. DEQ currently is focusing on air toxic pollutants such as benzene and diesel particulate.

Air pollution in the form of haze can travel hundreds of miles, affecting the quality of the viewing experience in scenic areas like Crater Lake National Park. This haze is composed of small particles that absorb and scatter light, limiting what we see. Sources of this haze are both urban and rural, such as motor vehicles, power plants, industrial and manufacturing processes, and outdoor debris burning, as well as natural sources such as wildfire and windblown dust. Regional haze is a national problem, affecting visibility in national parks and wilderness areas across the country. On December 5, 2003, DEQ adopted the first regional haze plan for Oregon.

There are other problems with Oregon's air that still need attention. Smoke from wintertime residential woodburning can be so bad that it exceeds the federal health standard. Its a common myth that industry is the major contributor to air pollution. Yet, smoke from fireplaces and woodstoves is one of the largest threats to healthful air in Oregon. DEQ recognized long ago that woodsmoke is harmful to health. In 1986 it began a program to rate woodstoves based on how efficiently they burn fuel, how much smoke they emit and how much heat they put out. All new woodstoves and fireplace inserts sold in Oregon have to meet smoke standards for particulate emissions.

The Air Quality Index is a color-coded tool which shows air pollution levels. The DEQ offers a current index for many cities in Oregon as well as more information on air quality.

The North Coast enjoys good air quality due to the proximity to the ocean, lack of large pollution producers and prevailing winds. Exceptions exist and sometimes localized problems arise. An example is ongoing to work monitoring emissions from the Georgia-Pacific Mill in Toledo. DEQ must issue a discharge permit and emissions are closely monitored. When these permits are up for renewal, there are public hearings and lively debate.

Sources

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Air Quality Division. Salem, OR: The Department. [Accessed April 18, 1007]