A new air-permitting program is the focus of a community meeting next Tuesday (6/15), hosted by the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA.)
Cleaner Air Oregon is a recent initiative formed by Governor Brown’s office in 2016, then adopted by the LRAPA Board in 2019. LRAPA spokesman Travis Knudsen saidit takes a new tact with emissions regulation.
“Cleaner air Oregon is a program that regulates industry based on the potential health risk industrial emissions pose to neighbors, as where traditional air permitting limits industry based only on the quantity of emissions.”
The June 15th meeting is to explain how Cleaner Air Oregon works, how energy regulation varies, and hear community input and concerns as LRAPA prepares to write permits through the program. People can register for the virtual meeting at LRAPA’s website.
The agency wants local residents’ input. Knudsen said an online survey asks people how to best connect and share air quality concerns, particularly those near industrial sites.
“So the survey’s an attempt to try and capture what specific communities across Lane County’s’ needs are, so when we are publicly engaging on facilities we have an idea of how to target specific communities around the facility, to reach out to them and include them in the Clean Air Oregon process.”
Knudsen addeds it’s important to hear from Lane County residents who are most affected by air emissions.
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