Requiring Pollution Controls
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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is reviewing a permit that would allow the Portland General Electric’s (PGE) Boardman power plant to continue spew dangerous pollutants into the Columbia River Gorge and surrounding areas.
PGE’s coal-burning plant in Boardman, OR has been identified by the Forest Service as a major source of air pollution in the Gorge. As the largest stationary source of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in Oregon, its emissions contribute to the formation of acid rain in the Gorge that is 10 to 30 times more acidic than normal rainfall. The power plant emits sulfur and particulate matter that contribute to visibility impairment 95% of the year and cloud the spectacular vistas that make the Gorge famous. A recent study commissioned by the US Forest Service found that Boardman causes pollution in 11 other protected natural areas in three states. (link to study)
The DEQ’s failure to enforce air quality standards is a threat to communities within the Gorge who are forced to breathe polluted air. The DEQ must hold big business accountable to the Clean Air Act by requiring modern pollution control measures.
The PGE power plant in Boardman should not be exempt from the Clean Air Act. The “Title V” permit should be amended to clean up the power plant by installing modern pollution control devices, thereby protecting the Columbia River Gorge – our national scenic treasure.
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