How to improve air quality in the Gorge will be the
focus of a public meeting on Wednesday in Hood River.
Officials from the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality and Washington’s Southwest Clean Air Agency want the meeting to
give them a solid understanding of what people think about the proposed
approaches.
The agencies involved with the draft strategy are
asking for the public’s input from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Both
sessions will be held at the Best Western Hood River Inn, 1108 E. Marina
Way.
During those meetings, the draft Gorge Strategy Report
will be presented for public review and comment. This document chronicles
the development and history of the project, presents proposed strategies,
summarizes science behind the strategies and describes current emission
reduction strategies at both the state and federal level. The document is
also available online at www.gorgeair.org.
Some of the strategies include setting federal
requirements for haze reduction in the Gorge similar to ones for
wilderness areas.
The report considers several issues of particular
concern to Gorge residents including balance because of specific
protections under the National Scenic Area Act, risks to natural and
cultural resources from acid deposits and emissions from the PGE Boardman
coal-fired power plant, as well as ammonia emissions and dairies.
Following these sessions, final recommendations will be
presented to the Columbia River Gorge Commission at its April 8 meeting.
The strategy follows work by the DEQ and SWCCA during a
number of years to study air quality. The draft strategies are to improve
visibility in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area.
These plans stem from a May 2000 directive by the Gorge
Commission, which amended the scenic area management plan regarding air
quality.
The action had two parts: To continue monitoring air
pollution and visibility levels in the Gorge and to analyze source
emissions that contributed to air pollution.
A workshop was held last fall that discussed results of
the five-year study. The technical study, including monitoring, modeling
and source assessment, provided an indication of sources influencing
visibility. It also provided a picture of what conditions could be like in
future years.
Primary findings presented at the science workshop
included:
