Street Roots • March 11-17, 2016
News / Poetry
Page 7
POLLUTION, from page 5
said Oregon Environmental Council’s
Price.
Portland Mercury broke news of
Multnomah County has the nation’s
Bullseye Glass pollution. Now, he said,
fourth-worst concentration of diesel
“the news media is actually doing a lot
pollution.
of what we were trying to do by going
“Diesel drives a lot of the risk,” he
door to door, and that’s letting people
said.
know that there’s a problem.”
According to DEQ, diesel is 100 times
Another source of pollution
more toxic than gasoline exhaust and is
information is the EPA’s Toxics Release
a known carcinogen. According to data
Index, which shows limited data on area
compiled by Portland
polluters in its online,
Clean Air, all of
searchable database.
downtown and much of
Woolley said something
Northwest, North and
similar to Eugene’s right-
Northeast Portland
There's been "limited have diesel
to-know program would
appetite in the Legis concentrations that are
help people be more
informed.
lature to tackle this
10 times greater than
Portland Clean Air is
the standard health
in a comprehensive
also planning to do some
benchmark. The rest of
way.
air monitoring of its own,
the city isn’t much
but it’s costly.
COLIN PRICE, better off, with most of
OREGON ENVIRONMENTAL it between five and 10
“We were able to find
COUNCIL
an older machine from
times the benchmark.
people trying to work
Price said there’s
against Intel in New
been “limited appetite
Mexico,” Woolley said.
in the Legislature to
He said once the air
tackle this in a
monitoring machinery arrives in
comprehensive way.”
Portland, he plans to station it on the
While state legislation aimed at
property of a friend who lives across
limiting diesel pollution died in the 2015
from Intel, the fifth-largest greenhouse-
session, activists want to find ways to
gas producer in the state, and then
ensure momentum built from the
move it around to other Portland hot
community’s desire to clean up the air
spots to see what’s really in the air - if
will carry through to 2017, when similar
he can afford to run it.
bills aimed at reducing diesel pollution
“You know, it’s the city, the state or
will likely be introduced.
the polluters themselves that should be
. In 2015, Sen. Michael Dembrow
(D-Portland) and Rep. Mitch Greenlick
paying for this because it is really
expensive,” he said.
(D-Portland) introduced legislation
aimed at getting older and dirtier diesel
engines off the road, using California’s
Don’t forget diesel
standards as a road map, repealing the
While policymakers and community
idling pre-emption, and directing DEQ to
groups advocate for better permitting
establish diesel emission standards for
and monitoring of industry, it’s
engines.
important to remember mobile sources
Associated Oregon Industries
of pollution too - especially diesel
opposed these bills.
emitting vehicles, which cover a lot of
emily@streetroots. org
ground in port cities such as Portland,
Watching Time Go By
by Cactus
Walls fall down
doors are painted over & stuck shut
Windows break
actions have unintended consequences
weeds sprout flowers bloom
decay feeds life
tranquility is thé cause of all actions
‘til water shows the sky
wind sounds like whispers
waves look peaceful far away
reality is an illusion
How do you 1
At Health Share, we
believe good health is
more than what happens
inside.your doctor’s office.
Good health starts in your
community hnd includes
staying active, eating
healthy food and getting
regular check-ups.
Share your healthy habits
with family and friends. We
can all have better health
when we share it together.
Better health
together.
www.healthshareoregon.org
Cuts& Checks Barbershop Blood
Pressure Program / Terrell Brandon
Barber Shop North by Northeast
Community Health Center/
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center