Cleaner Air for Oregon A Case Study of an Environmental Exposure Event and Regulatory Response to Protect Public Health

Transcription

1 Cleaner Air for Oregon A Case Study of an Environmental Exposure Event and Regulatory Response to Protect Public Health David Farrer, Ph.D. Public Health Toxicologist Oregon Health Authority

2 Presentation Overview Discovering an Environmental Exposure Responding to the Exposure Regulatory Response: Cleaner Air Oregon Lessons Learned

3 Discovering an Environmental Exposure

4 Portland Air Toxics Assessment 4

5 Portland Air Toxics Assessment Five priority categories for reduction: 1. Residential wood burning 2. Cars and trucks 3. Heavy duty vehicles 4. Construction equipment 5. Industrial metals facilities

6 Cadmium Levels Measurements higher than predicted, but not alarming: Oregon Metals Monitoring Trends Portland Model to Monitor Comparison, 2005

7 Potential Health Effects of Inhaling Cadmium Increased risk of lung cancer Decreased lung function and emphysema Kidney damage

8 U.S. Forest Service Portland Moss Study

9 Initial Portland Moss Sampling: 2013

10 Source: USFS Cadmium Concentrations in Moss

11 Initial Air Monitoring Near Hotspot DEQ Short Term Particulate Monitoring Near Glass Facility to Assess Metals Glass Facility DEQ Monitor

12 Cadmium Results and Significance ng/m³ Minimum measured concentration Air samples taken: Cadmium detected in: ng/m³ Average measured concentration 30 ng/m³ Health-Based Toxicity Threshold* 195 ng/m³ Maximum measured concentration 4 samples exceeded the 30 ng/m³ threshold Cadmium Concentration (ng/m³) 200 *From the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

13 Questions for the Viewer? Who monitors air quality in your jurisdiction? A. State public health agency B. Local public health agency C. A different state agency D. A different local agency E. Regional air quality agency F. No one G. I don t know

14 Responding to the Exposure

15 Initial Priorities Find out if exposures are ongoing Evaluate and communicate risk to community Prevent similar situations from happening in the future

16 Examples from February 2016: Ongoing Air and Soil Monitoring

17 Risk Communication

18 Community Advisory Committee

19 Communication Pattern What we don t know What we know What we are doing about it

20 Regulatory Response: Cleaner Air Oregon

21 Closing the Regulatory Gap Clean air is fundamental to good health. I am deeply concerned that federal and state air quality programs do not directly consider public health in regulating certain classes of industrial air emissions. This must change. Governor Kate Brown Protective of health Grounded in science Predictable

22 Pre-Existing Regulatory Gaps

23 States With Health-Based Air Toxics Programs

24 Cleaner Air Oregon Public Process

25 How Were Draft Rules Developed? Draft Cleaner Air Oregon Rules Senate Bill 1541 March 2018 Public Comment Fall 2017, Summer 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Rules Advisory Committee

26 Questions for the Viewer? How does your agency value community engagement in rule making? A. Very High: We have staff assigned B. High: We always include community in rule development C. Somewhat: We have only been marginally successful in engaging community D. None: We have a hard time convincing our governing board of the value of community engagement

27 Health Equity and Environmental Justice Levels set to protect the most vulnerable Addresses cumulative risk from multiple pollutants at sources Prioritize sources based on communities of color, low income and children< 5 years old Public access to information More opportunities for public involvement

28 How Will Cleaner Air Oregon Work? Report air toxics Companies to report use of 600 pollutants to state regulators Assess risk Facilities calculate potential health risks to people who live, work, and go to school nearby Regulate to reduce risk Companies would have to act if the levels of air toxics they emit exceed health risk action levels (RALs)

29 Engaging Communities for Cleaner Air Rules specifically address community engagement DEQ and OHA to develop protocol Stakeholder participation Use engagement best practices Engagement will be tailored to community Detailed pollutant and risk information available

30 Rule Adoption! Rules were adopted by the Oregon DEQ s governing board (Environmental Quality Commission) on November 15, now on to implementation!

31 Lessons Learned

32 Lessons Learned: Partnerships Identify all relevant partner and resource agencies and coordinate: What s In The Environment? Regulation Oregon Department of Environmental Quality U.S. Forest Service U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration Health Information Support NW Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Oregon Poison Center Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Community Engagement Multnomah County Health Department

33 Lessons Learned: Communication Third party facilitation in public meetings Formation of Community Advisory Committees Regularly spaced, transparent public communications What we know, what we don t know, what we are doing about it

34 Questions?

35 References & Resource Links State or local environmental regulatory agency Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Poison Center U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, especially the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)