St. Johns is plagued with air pollution. This presentation clearly illustrates the real problem we have in our small community.

1. St. Johns Air Quality
2016

2. Air Pollution vs. Air Toxics
 Air Pollution - carbon monoxide,
ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and
PM10), nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides
and lead
 Air Toxics - air pollutants known or
suspected to cause cancer or other
serious health problems
 Red text indicates levels of concern
for Portland
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3. Air Toxics
 Include: diesel soot, benzene,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (tar-
like by-products from auto exhaust
and other sources), and metals
including manganese, nickel, and lead
 Sources: cars and trucks, all types of
burning (including fireplaces and
woodstoves), businesses, and
consumer products such as paints
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Source:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/northwest/

4. Sources of Air Toxics
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Source:
http://projects.oregonlive.com/pollution/

5. Air Pollution in the Press
• Bullseye Glass, Southeast Portland
• Mercury breaks story, February 2016
• DEQ – Cease and desist – May 2016 (lead)
• Issues - Lead, cadmium, chromium and arsenic
• Cadmium levels raised potential cancer risk from 1
in 1,000,000 to 1 in 10,000
• Uroboros Glass, North Portland
• Cadmium Hot Spot – ceased using colored glass
• Precision Castparts, Southwest Portland
• Nickel Hot Spot
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6. USA Today – Smokestack Effect
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Source:
http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment
/smokestack/index

7. USA Today – Smokestack Effect
 George Middle – 1st Percentile
◦ The air is worse at 437 schools across the
nation
 Sitton Elementary – 3rd Percentile
◦ The air is worse at 2,185 schools across
the nation
 James John Elementary – 3rd
Percentile
◦ The air is worse at 2,350 schools across
the nation
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Source:
http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation
/environment/smokestack/school/74416

8. What we learned:
 Portland’s air is dirtier than we thought
 As of March 2016, Portland had one permanent air
quality monitor (more monitors now)
 The state of Oregon knew about some of the
issues for over a year, and has been receiving
complaints about Bullseye since the 1980’s
 Elevated levels of metals have potentially
increased cancer to 1 in 5,000 (want 1 in
1,000,000)
 NO permit required for heavy metal discharge for
glass manufacturing facilities
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Source: http://www.opb.org/news/article/7-
things-you-need-to-know-about-portlands-
toxic-air-situation/

9. The Positive Side:
 Urban moss being used to reveal “hot
spots” throughout Portland with
concentrations of toxic heavy metals
like cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and lead
◦ Been using moss and lichen for years
◦ Forest Service researchers in Portland
are the first to do so on a city-wide scale
 Two top DEQ officials, including the
department director stepped down
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Source:
http://www.opb.org/news/article/7-
things-you-need-to-know-about-
portlands-toxic-air-situation/

10. Cadmium Concentrations in
Moss
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http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/research/moss
/

11. The Portland Air Toxics Solutions project produced a technical study
that included an analysis of available monitoring information and
computer model estimates of Portland’s expected pollutant levels in the
year 2017.
Air Toxics by Pollutants – Diesel, Acrolein, PAH-15
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Source:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/toxics/pat
smaps.htm

12. Source – Industry, including gas
stations and dry cleaners
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Source:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/toxics/pat
smaps.htm

13. Source – Residential Wood
Combustion
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Source:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/toxics/pat
smaps.htm

14. Source – Cars and Trucks
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http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/toxics/pat
smaps.htm

15. North Portland Update
 As of September 2016:
◦ Moving air monitoring
station from North
Roselawn Street to a site
approximately one fourth
mile to the southwest at
the Humboldt School
property, 4915 N
Gantenbien Ave.
◦ The new site is in an open
area near playgrounds,
schools, and high density
housing.
◦ Moved and operational by
October 2016
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http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/northwest/
docs/NPortlandmonitors.pdf

16. Moving Forward….
Steps for St. Johns Air Quality Improvements
 Meet with Eastside Air Pollution – formalize SJ plan
 Permit list
◦ Active permits – status of these permits
 Current, violations, etc.
◦ Facilities in need of permits – prioritized
◦ Research current requirements for permits
 Stationary sources
 Mobile sources
 Testing and available technology
◦ Mobile sources
◦ Stationary sources
◦ Related Costs and time required
 Community Information / Updates
◦ Write-ups review
◦ Forums / Work-groups
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