(Salem, OR) — Today, Governor Kate Brown spoke with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden following a meeting he, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, and Congressman Earl Blumenauer had with senior officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Forest Service about the alarming toxic air emissions detected in Portland. Governor Brown released the following statement:
"I deeply appreciate the support and engagement we’ve seen from our Congressional partners. There is an urgent need to respond to community health concerns and to close the regulatory gaps that allowe emissions of hazardous air pollutants.
"Early efforts to coordinate with the EPA have been productive, and I appreciate the agency loaning the state additional air monitors and collaborating with our Department of Environmental Quality on sampling and facility inspections. I applaud the innovative moss monitoring the U.S. Forest Service is pioneering as a low-cost way to focus our hunt for sources of industrial air toxics.
"Nevertheless, there are other types of assistance that would help state and local agencies as we move swiftly to address this situation. The federal government needs to do two things. First, it needs to fix the regulatory gaps nationwide so our companies have a level playing field. That said, Oregon will not delay in developing our own regulatory solutions. Second, the federal government needs to make greater investments in monitoring, modeling, and researching these emissions, their health impacts, and ways to eliminate or effectively control them.
"Oregon will continue working with our federal partners to address this alarming situation."
February 19, 2016
