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Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality has been working for the past year on a set of rules, known as Cleaner Air Oregon, aimed at regulating emissions produced by industrial facilities.

The new regulations have been drafted and are being presented for community discussion throughout the state. Thursday night, the DEQ met with concerned Coos County residents and industry representatives to take into consideration public comments for the final draft of these new regulations. Around 50 residents showed up for the Thursday meeting to take part in the discussion of new emission regulations.

Many industries, including the lumber industry are very worried about the effect that new regulations could have on businesses.

Ellen Porter, director of environmental affairs at Roseburg Forest Products said, “These rules are so stringent that if a facility can’t comply, or afford to comply they could lose their business.” According to Porter, Cleaner Air Oregon’s industrial air quality regulations would be the most stringent in the nation.

The DEQ began drafting up the Cleaner Air Oregon regulations in response to an issue with Bullseye Glass, a glass manufacturing company that operates out of South Portland. Last year, Bullseye Glass was found blowing excess dust from toxic metals used to make different colors in its glass into the atmosphere, which set in motion the Clean Air Oregon regulations.

From The World: http://theworldlink.com/news/local/lumber-industry-concerned-about-new-emission-rules/article_91fc8de4-bce7-5c5d-a767-439a6df0d9bc.html