Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Read about other tips for reducing your exposure to unhealthy air here. 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? Dont wait. Correction: Oct. 22, 2021. 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. If youre living with poor air quality, you certainly would have increased risk for becoming very sick and possibly dying.. Environmental message as plastic bottle survives for decade after being dropped in ocean off Portland, Evidence is mounting to suggest that international ships throw garbage overboard. 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. and our Light pollution map. This kind of air-modeling analysis detects outdoor pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. This is a great piece of data illuminating the longevity and impact of this and all plastic bottles in the ocean and it couldn't be ignored by the leader of the Beach Patrol 3280 group, award-winning environmental warrior Colleen Hughson. Yah Canul said she notices a strange odor in the air when she heads outdoors, and when she returns home, the odor lingers in her clothing. "I sent that bottle off a pier in Portland, Victoria, exactly 10 years ago," Ms Zepcan said. Its a condition no one in her family has ever had before. ago The summary also states that 84 per centof Australia's annual plastic consumption is single-use plasticand only 13 per cent of that is recycled. Report pollution Check water quality of the Yarra River Stormwater is surface run-off from rain and storms that enters our drains. 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? Victorian Governments Air Quality Strategy, set for release in 2019. Cautionary Statement (for PM2.5) 0 - 50. These tiny smoke particles can embed themselves into the lungs, even entering the bloodstream where they can do further harm. EPA Victoria State Government of Victoria. EPA Victoria State Government of Victoria. The Act is available at Victorian Legislation. "The impacts from the coronavirus and how those are being parsed out really put even finer point on the work were doing, which does look at disparate impacts," he said. If Cully resident Wendi Suni Yah Canul had her way, that action would take the more immediate form of a complete shutdown of the Owens-Brockway plant. The fuel company, operating in North Portland, was fined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for construction activity without the proper permits. It's. It recently commissioned a study that found the glass plant was emitting high levels of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into surrounding communities, potentially exceeding federal air-quality standards. In fact as a consultant working for industry, I wouldnt even turn it in.. But, a big problem is literally hanging over Yah Canuls beloved park, her vegetable garden and her community: Air pollution drifting in from the Owens-Brockway glass-recycling facility about a mile away. Subordinate legislation is the group of tools that sit under the Act. Portland and Multnomah County started opening up additional shelter space Thursday night to give respite from outside air. The neighborhood also has almost twice the percentage of households living in poverty than does Portland as a whole. 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. 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Laws and regulations | Environment Protection Authority Victoria 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. Portland, Oregon AQI: Portland, Oregon Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI). It's an . When asked via email what Owens-Brockway is doing to ensure the surrounding communities are not exposed to harmful chemicals, officials declined to be interviewed for this story or to provide a statement. If there were any faint hopes that future generations might reduce plastic waste, the reverse is true. In addition, a new permit activity (L09 - Disposing of tunnel boring machine spoil) has been added to the Environment Protection Regulations 2021. She started buying a special laundry soap to get the odor out of her familys clothing. Portland (/ p r t l n d / PORT-lnd) is a city in Victoria, Australia, and is the oldest European settlement in the state.It is also the main urban centre in the Shire of Glenelg and is located on Portland Bay.As of the 2021 census the population was 10,016, increasing from a population of 9,712 taken at the 2016 census. Be a part of it! Nearby popular places. Glenelg, Victoria, Australia. 1 position -- as in the worst, with an . 'It's A Bit Surreal': Oregon's Air Quality Suffers As Fires - NPR The community groups working to reduce pollution from the Owens-Brockway plant have teamed up with Earthjustice, a public-interest environmental law organization. Health inequities and unequal distribution of poor air quality environments around Portland are providing double jeopardy for these families.. Many of the ships that harbour in Portland are crewed by overseas workers,whostock their food and water in other countries. DEQ Air Quality Administrator Ali Mirzakhalili said Owens-Brockway was able to renew its air-quality permit in part because source testing, like that required under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, is not required for the renewal process. Study: More People Of Color Live Near Portland's Biggest Air Polluters They also noticed the strange smell, as well.. Alternatively, type a search term and press the Search button. The Environment Protection Act 2017, as significantly amended by the Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 and other Acts, came into effect on 1 July 2021. But despite Portland's . The Act gives EPA enhanced powers and tools to prevent and minimise the risks of harm to human health and the environment from pollution and waste. Light pollution map The National Environment Protection Council (Victoria) Act 1995 is complementary legislation to the other states and the Commonwealth. Diesel exhaust presents a very significant threat to public health and welfare in the Portland metropolitan area. Many are worried about homeless individuals in particular. Subordinate legislation aims to protect air, water and land. "Our oceans are full of plastic drink bottles.". Speciality Museums. Wendi Suni Yah Canul and her son Mario Valle Yah (6) pose in front of their community garden plot located in Northeast Portland's Cully Park on Oct. 7, 2021. 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. We pay respect to Aboriginal Elders, past and present. I would like to have a town hall with our community to educate them and build more support to shut them down, because its too close to our community, she said. EPA AirWatchshows air quality information from our monitoring network across the state. You can help improve Victorias air quality by: Poor indoor air quality can also harm your health. OPBs critical reporting and inspiring programs are made possible by the power of member support. 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. Marine air begins to work inland over the next couple of days with a modest westerly breeze. 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. The World Wildlife Foundation estimates that plastic bottles take 450 years to break down, disintegrating into toxic chemical parts. Visitor Centers. 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. The Willamette River and its polluted past | Street Roots Also in the Cully neighborhoods midst: three brownfields previously developed industrial lands that are no longer in use and could be contaminated. Copyright TWC Product and Technology LLC 2014, 2023. Most masks that are worn to ward off COVID-19 do little to filter out the smallest smoke particles. 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. Learn more. It would be good for them to shut down so we can become a better community.. 51 -100. Please enable JavaScript in order to get the best experience when using this site. Take action today! Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability proposes surcharge to Ten days ago the air quality index in the city was 11. Yah Canul blames the chemicals for that smell and for her 6-year-old sons recently-developed asthma. 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. For example, smoke from bushfires and wind-blown dust impact Victoria's air quality. "We've identified 305 foreign brands from over 50 countries. So once thats identified its our responsibility to make sure that issue is remedied, so weve done so.. We pay respect to Aboriginal Elders, past and present. N95 masks and other medical-grade respirators will sift out fine particles, but they must fit properly and are in short supply because officials have urged the public to reserve them for frontline healthcare workers. EPA acknowledges Aboriginal people as the first peoples and Traditional custodians of the land and water on which we live, work and depend. Friday, the dangerous air prompted many new closures of outdoor spaces and even some indoor spaces across parts of the state. 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. We will review the data in question. Please select the information that is incorrect. But now they're looking at how it could help identify which communities are more vulnerable to the virus. Weather conditions, and events like fires can affect air pollution levels. Regulations support the Act by providing clarity and further detail for duty holders on how to fulfil their obligations. Air Quality in Portland , Victoria , Australia - tomorrow.io Asummary of the Regulationsis also available. Last update at 16:00, May 1 (local time), *IQAirs AQI data modeled using satellite data. As a graduate student at Portland State University, James V. Hillegas-Elting began to unearth this nuanced story. The letter elicitedfeelings of nostalgia and remorse. It also covers noise, waste and serious chemical hazards. 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. "In the past few years, we've collected 1529 branded bottles from countries in the region of Asia, compared to 260 bottles sold in Australia," she said.