H & E Minutes, 7.12.10

7.12.10

NWDA H & E Minutes

Present:  Karen Harter, Bob L, Mitch Ritter, Karl Dopelfeld, Lisa Selman, Caroline Skinner, Monica Russell (DEQ) Sharon Genasci

Sharon Handed out Carter Webb’s response to our request that Esco curtail or stop production on air advisory days this summer, to reduce the air pollution in the neighborhood, the group was disappointed in his alternative suggestions:

1. “Adding bike racks to the building and landscaping construction plans now   underway
2.  Looking at other options for encouraging bike commuting, especially in summer
3. Looking at options for stepping up our employee bus pass program
4. Establishing an “ESCO carpool” program via our internal newsletters and bulletin boards
5. Increasing communications around Clean Air Action Days to alert employees to best environmental practices in their commute, at home and at work.”

We felt that these strategies should have been done already and are completely inadequate in proportion to the impact of odors, VOCs and heavy metals carrying  particulate emitted by the company into the neighborhood.

We then discussed Andy Ginsburg’s reply (on behalf of Dick Pederson, Head of DEQ to whom we sent the Esco letter).  Most in the group agreed that Allan Classen’s response to Andy was a perfect summation of our own reaction:

“Mr Ginsburg:
I read your email response to Sharon Genasci’s request that Esco shut down on ‘bad air days’.  Why are you running interference for Esco?

Wouldn’t a better response have been:  “While we have no power to require Esco to accept this suggestion, we would applaud them if they choose to make such a gesture on behalf of cleaner  air.”

Next we   looked at the letter from Richard Albright, Director, Office of Air, Waste & Toxics, EPA Region 10 in Seattle.  This letter will be fully answered by our committee.
We had written to the new Administrator at Region 10, Dennis Mc Lerran, whom we have decided we would like to invite to Portland to meet with both our committee and Neighbors for Clean Air.  We will take the lead on arranging the visit.

There was some discussion about the need to explore collaboration with Slabtown on possible URA opportunities for cleaning up the air shed ahead of development on the Conway site.

Finally, The following proposed DEQ rules mostly developed at the previous meeting
were discussed and approved by the group.  These will be presented by Sharon in a motion at the next NWDA Board meeting, and then  following approval will be
sent to all key ODEQ personnel.

Following are the proposed rules:

1.  A strong, enforceable rule for nuisance and odors.

2.  A rule on diesel particulate that focuses on portable, but not mobile sources, such as generators, heavy equipment etc.  About half of non mobile sources of diesel come from these sources.

3.  The above ground oil storage tanks are sources of fuel odors. Some of them are leaking.  Hence, a rule to require oil companies to tighten up the tanks and stop the leaks.  (The tanks also should be prepared for earthquakes.  This would not be a rule, but DEQ discretion could enforce this.  And we would like to see DEQ require wind direction and speed monitors on fuel storage tanks).

4.  ODEQ should move forward the rule that requires oil companies to reduce the benzene content in fuels in this region to the lower level of the rest of the country a year earlier (they aren’t required to clean the fuels until 2012).

5.  A zero emissions rule on the most dangerous, persistent heavy metals, arsenic, lead, manganese and chrome 6.

Sharon Genasci, Chair, NWDA Health & Environment Committee