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SATURDAY January 24, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 7, 2004 Council opposes DEQ plan By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland City Council voted unasnimously on Tuesday night to oppose a Oregon Department of Environmental Quality proposal to change air pollution regulations in Jackson County. The DEQ is seeking public input on a proposal that would allow a potential doubling of fine particles that would be produced by new or expanding industry. Particulate matter includes waste particles produced by industrial activities, wood burning and vehicles. At meetings and workshops in Medford, the community has shown great opposition to the proposal, saying the new standards would worsen air quality that's already too polluted in the Rogue Valley. The City of Ashland resolution requested the DEQ retain the current restrictions on the amount of particulate matter pollution that can be emitted by major industry, and to remove the growth allowance from the draft plan that allows major industry to emit a greater amount of particulate matter. In the resolution, the city requested the proposed plan be submitted to the Federal Protection Agency with the Emissions Offset option. They asked the DEQ to continue to work with the Medford Ashland Air quality Advisory committee to monitor and improve the current level of air quality in the Rogue Valley. The city requested that the proposed plan include a strategy to monitor particulate matter and to analyze the specific point and non-point sources of these pollutants. This should be done to identify specific ways to further improve air quality in respect to respiratory illnesses, the council resolution said. Council member Kate Jackson, who helped word the resolution, said it was important for the council and the city to make a statement of this issue. "We don't think the plan put fourth by the DEQ is in our best interest," she said during a break in the meeting. "We want them to stay with the way they've been doing (the regulations) because it's working." John Becker, DEQ regional air quality manager, was in attendance to answer any questions the council had on the proposal. Several citizens, all against the DEQ proposal, addressed the councilors, thanking them for opposing the plan and emphasizing the dangers to air quality and health more air pollution would bring. Proponents of the proposal have said reducing the standards would attract more industry to the county and help create more jobs. Council member John Morrison agreed there is a need for more jobs in the area. But he felt the DEQ proposal was the wrong way to go. "It's a poor strategy and a pretty poor trade-off," he said at the meeting. The council voted 4-3, with Mayor Alan DeBoer being the tiebreaker, to omit section 3 of the city's resolution. The section asked that the proposed plan to include a strategy for emission offset exchanges between industry sources and vehicle sources. The city also submitted a letter urging the DEQ to retain the requirements currently in place. The letter said improved air quality in the Rogue Valley is a significant factor in the quality of life and public health. Allowing relaxed standards of emissions is too great, the letter said. The DEQ has scheduled a public meeting on Jan. 21 at the South Medford High School auditorium at 5:30 p.m. The DEQ is also accepting public comments on the proposal until Jan. 30. A copy of the proposed DEQ plan is available at www.deq.state.or.us/aq/index.htm. Written comments can be mai\led to: David Collier, Oregon DEQ, Air Quality Division, 811 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204-1390. Comments may be faxed to Collier at 503-229-5675, or e-mailed to [email protected] . DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams