The Environment Protection Regulations 2021 (Regulations) support the objectives of the legislation to prevent or minimise risks of harm to human health or the environment from pollution or waste. Those pollutants include carbon monoxide, lead, ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. By JohnO4352. It also manages waterside emergency and marine pollution response, and is responsible for the management of Station Pier as Victoria's premier cruise . We pay respect to Aboriginal Elders, past and present. Air pollutants such as small particles ( PM 2.5 and PM 10) and ozone can harm your lungs and hearts. We acknowledge the unique spiritual and cultural significance of land, water and all that is in the environment to Traditional Owners, and recognise their continuing connection to, and aspirations for Country. This bottle travelledat least 80km from Portland to Warrnambool, floating in the ocean for more than10 years. Cautionary Statement (for PM2.5) 0 - 50. OPBs critical reporting and inspiring programs are made possible by the power of member support. The department predicts that global plastic use will double by 2040. It also provides EPA with the ability to pursue stronger sanctions and penalties to hold environmental polluters to account. Ten years ago, Ines Zepcan and her sister had been holidaying in nearby Portland when the childrendecided to both send a message in a bottle out to sea. Two months after a hate graffiti incident, residents in Portland's Cully Neighborhood hold multicultural celebration. We acknowledge the unique spiritual and cultural significance of land, water and all that is in the environment to Traditional Owners, and recognise their continuing connection to, and aspirations for Country. Prevent water pollution from your business, Reduce your household greenhouse gas emissions, Dispose of building, renovation or home demolition waste, Air quality monitoring data across Victoria, Beach Report and Yarra Watch season 2020-2021 summary, Beach Report and Yarra Watch season 2021-2022 summary, Energy, petroleum and extractive industries, How to apply the environment protection principles to the approvals process, Check your tanker truck meets safety standards - photo guides, Application for amendment or revocation of a site management order, How to pay or nominate a vehicle littering fine, Hydrogeological assessment guidelines - 668.1, Better Environment Plans Guideline - 2053, Laws to protect the environment and human health, Resource Recovery Facilities Audit Taskforce, Community-led action for smoke: Yarra Ranges pilot, Underground petroleum storage systems at service stations, How EPA manages our greenhouse gas emissions. Get the app Historical View interactive maps at the states web page, oregonsmoke.blogspot.com, or the EPAs web page, fire.airnow.gov. The objectives of these Regulations are: The Environment Protection Transitional Regulations 2021 are available at Victorian Legislation. The neighborhood also has almost twice the percentage of households living in poverty than does Portland as a whole. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). The objectives of the Regulations are to further the purposes of, and give effect to, the Act by: The Environment Protection Regulations 2021 are available at Victorian Legislation. Earthjustices own modeling showed the glass plant emissions exceeded allowable standards for some of these pollutants even after Owens-Brockways Portland plant reduced operations in June to run just one of its four furnaces. Where can Portland go from here?'". Acts administered by EPA Environment Protection Act 2017 Youre not alone. Both Bangor and Portland metro areas were named among the cleanest cities for short-term particle pollution, while Portland reported a . Forecast updated: Wind: 5 hours ago, fine particulate matter: 11 hours ago, ozone: 11 hours ago. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) The Willamette River is contaminated with toxic chemicals and metals, and in a new study the Department of Environmental Quality said it poses a threat for human health . In a recentvideo, Ms Hughson invitedbeach communities around the world to join her #bottlesoverboard citizen science project. Air pollution reduces the quality of the air. That could include running a HEPA air filter if you have one and sealing off windows with sheets of plastic and tape. Her community garden plot is located in Northeast Portlands recently-built Cully Park, a 25-acre green space with soccer fields, a playground, and views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood. Support the news and programs youll rely on in 2023 and beyond! For example, smoke from bushfires and wind-blown dust impact Victorias air quality. Friday afternoon, Seattles air quality declined to the point that it briefly tied Portland for the most dismal air, before bouncing back into second place. EPA and the Department of Transport jointly administer this Act. These tiny smoke particles can embed themselves into the lungs, even entering the bloodstream where they can do further harm. Earthjustice joined community-level environmental groups, including Verde, the Cully Air Action Team, and several other advocacy groups in petitioning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 to reconsider the renewal of the glass plants air quality permit. In fact as a consultant working for industry, I wouldnt even turn it in.. Verde, an environmental justice organization located in the heart of Cully, said any of the Owens-Brockway recycling plants environmental benefits to the region come at the cost of nearby residents health. Its prompted Yah Canul to limit her sons time playing outdoors. Health inequities and unequal distribution of poor air quality environments around Portland are providing double jeopardy for these families.. This place is beautiful and the community is so tight knit and we all know each other. In the face of criticism from Cully residents and their allies, DEQ says its doing what it can to navigate a complex set of requirements. This year's "State of the Air" report from the American Lung Association finds that Maine reported mixed results for air pollution throughout its counties and metro areas. The Natural Resources Defense Council studied one year, 2012, of wildfires in Oregon and concluded that it led to measurable health consequences, including nearly 2,000 emergency room visits, 92 admissions to the hospital for lung and heart problems, 226 premature deaths and $2.1 billion in total health costs. Keith Johnson, Cleaner Air Oregon program manager, said his agency looked at the demographics of the people living near air pollution and chose facilities to regulate based in part on disproportionate health impacts to vulnerable communities. Wildfires are destroying homes and communities on the West Coast and they are also creating some of the world's worst air pollution in a region usually known for its clean living and stunning. Poor air quality affects human health and the environment. PM2.5 concentration in Portland air currently meets the WHO annual air quality guideline value Health Recommendations How to protect from air pollution in Portland? A measurement of 0 or 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups and over 150 is unhealthy for everyone. It's called the Clean Air Protection Program. As Victoria's environmental regulator, we pay respect to how Country has been protected and cared for by Aboriginal people over many tens of thousands of years. April 29, 2020 6:45 a.m. Research analyzing new air pollution data from the Cleaner Air Oregon program shows people of color are more likely to live near Portland's biggest polluters. The air quality monitoring website IQAir.com, which ranks air pollution across nearly 100 cities internationally, elevated Portland Friday morning to its No. Dave Miller: The largest emitters of air pollution in Portland would have to pay a surcharge under a new program that the city is considering. They have never done an ambient air quality assessment, he said. Moderate. The EPA suggests residents of smoky regions set up a clean room, where the entire household can seek a break from bad air that has seeped into other areas of the home. Portland State University Professor Vivek Shandasworked with a team of masters students who analyzed new air pollution data from the Cleaner Air Oregon program alongside city maps and U.S. Census information. Dont wait. Victorian Governments Air Quality Strategy, set for release in 2019. Shandas has already published studies showing neighborhoods that were subject to racist redlining practices starting in the 1930s now see hotter temperatures and lower air quality. Every day on average the . It contains pollutants such as chemicals, leaves and litter. Get the app, Reduce your air pollution exposure in Portland, the WHO annual air quality guideline value, Find out more about contributors and data sources, Open your windows to bring clean, fresh air indoors. These are the words every beachcomber hopes to one day yell, and this exclamation came from Ros Evans, sendinga ripple of excitement through others in her group. But now they're looking at how it could help identify which communities are more vulnerable to the virus. imposing obligations in relation to environmental protection, pollution incidents, contaminated land and waste, including in relation to on-site wastewater management systems, providing for activities and other matters for the purposes of permissions under the Act, specifying matters in relation to litter, water, the atmosphere, land, noise and vehicle emissions, encouraging retailers and consumers to reduce the overall use of plastic bags that often enter the environment as litter, by banning thin, single-use plastic shopping bags, setting out additional matters in relation to the environmental audit system, prescribing activities in respect of which the environment protection levy or the waste levy is payable, or when EPA may require a financial assurance, prescribing the form and manner of certain applications, prescribing infringement offences and infringement penalties, providing for exemptions from certain provisions of the Act and the Regulations, prescribing the fees payable under the Act. "Our oceans are full of plastic drink bottles.". But theyre also losing patience with the lengthy process its using to consider ways to clean up emissions from the Owens-Brockway plant. We pay respect to Aboriginal Elders, past and present. Of all the major cities in the World, #Portland remains at the top for worst air quality.#OregonFires #OregonWildfires2020 #oregonwildfires #Oregon pic.twitter.com/lWpjIGtFha. Some farmers markets, state parks, Bureau of Land Management recreational areas, state forests, national forests and Crater Lake National Park are closed. providing for a system of civil remedies and compensation orders available to the Court. The agency said air quality could significantly improve on Monday. The pandemic has shown the world that there are things we can do to improve air quality, Messer said. Portland typically has much cleaner air. Theres many, many people that Ive talked to and know personally that they say, my kid goes outside to play soccer and within 10 minutes our eyes get watery, the doctors assessed that our kids have asthma for X amount of years when there is no asthma traces in our family, he said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys website listed Portlands measurement as even higher, at 349. Wendi Suni Yah Canul's son Mario Valle Yah, 6, looks at the family's abundance of habanero peppers in their community garden plot located in Northeast Portland's Cully Park, on Oct. 7, 2021. They will need to apply for and obtain an EPA permission to continue the activity from 1 July 2023, or they can choose to apply for an L09 permit now. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also allows smartphone users to check air quality though an app that can be found by searching for OregonAir in the app store. Marine air begins to work inland over the next couple of days with a modest westerly breeze. Be the first to measure and contribute air quality data to your community. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. VIIRS 2022 VIIRS 2021 VIIRS 2020 VIIRS 2019 VIIRS 2018 VIIRS 2017 VIIRS 2016 World Atlas 2015 VIIRS 2015 VIIRS 2014 VIIRS 2013 VIIRS 2012 Clouds Aurora forecast (1h) World Atlas 2015. Other parts of Oregon have been hampered by even heavier smoke than in the Portland area. Common short-term side effects of inhaling smoke particles are eye irritation, sore throat, runny nose, phlegm production, wheezy breathing and headaches. The Owens-Brockway glass plant, owned by Owens-Illinois, Inc., melts down used beer and wine bottles in furnaces to create new glass containers. Of the 40 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, Portland saw its residents drive the third-fewest miles per day in 2019, on average, behind only New York and Philadelphia. It also covers noise, waste and serious chemical hazards. Every day on average the facility recycles more than 240,000 pounds of glass. One solution being considered is to install filters that would trap harmful chemicals and airborne particulates. Most masks arent effective against wildfire smoke, so the best option is to stay indoors with air conditioning. Power stations in Victoria's Latrobe Valley and New South Wales's Lake Macquarie region have been named on a list of the world's biggest hotspots for toxic air pollution. Over the summer, DEQ made what it considers significant changes to those requirements because of Earthjustices air modeling emissions. Ms Hughson did a current stocktake of the origins of beach bottle rubbish and revealed that the most highly litteredbrands could onlybe purchased overseas. The study found the glass plant was emitting nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide at levels that could potentially exceed federal standards. Nearby popular places. "This bottle tells us that plastic bottles last a long time in the environment," she said. You can just look out your car window. It read:"My name is Ines Zapcan, I am 8 years old, whoever finds this bottle will have good luck for life from me and my family". PM2.5 concentration in Portland air currently meets the WHO annual air quality guideline value, Interested in hourly forecast? Do you have a smoke headache? In the end, Earthjustice got some of what it wanted, but pollutants are still being emitted by Owens-Brockway while the review process continues to play out. If this was a facility that didnt exist and they were applying for the permit and the facility was configured with this property line and these emissions and those stacks, the permit would be denied, outright, Cloud said. So far, the program has only brought a handful of facilities into its new permitting process. Most masks that are worn to ward off COVID-19 do little to filter out the smallest smoke particles. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. "When we see it punctuated in an event like this, we're really able to then see that air pollution in our backyard is not just a big deal because of us living next to it for a period of time, but it increases our likelihood of fatality when events like this come through," he said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Act is available at Victorian Legislation. We also jointly administer the Pollution of Waters by Oils and Noxious Substances Act 1986 and administer the National Environment Protection Council (Victoria) Act 1995. I though our air quality was terrible (it is), then I saw Bend, OR (omg) pic.twitter.com/p4EyzUqHnM. Asummary of the Regulationsis also available. Dont wait. We will review the data in question. None. Portland and Multnomah County started opening up additional shelter space Thursday night to give respite from outside air.