Imagine the consternation when upscale yuppies in Portland's downtown Pearl District gulped their first caffeine hit of the day and read in the morning paper that their air is contaminated with benzene, a carcinogenic hydrocarbon. The cause is gasoline that contains twice the national average of benzene and three times California's levels. Les bourgeoisie move to Portland because of its green reputation. But the fact is that Oregon has some of the dirtiest gasoline in the nation because its supplies come from Alaskan crude which contains 10 times the amout of benzene than crude from other sources. Northwestern refiners were exempted from Clean Air Act regulations for benzene because when the regulations were made the region had some of the cleanest air in the nation. No more.
The Oregon DEQ measured ambient benzene levels in downtown Portland at forty times the level considered safe for longterm exposure in 1999. The risk for cancer due to benzene exposure in metropolitan Multnomah County is twice the national average. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D) is threatening to hold confirmation of the EPA's general counsel nominee hostage, if the agency does not correct the situation. Its current rule proposal allows refiners to trade credits for benzene levels in cleaner product without removing the contaminant from dirty fuel. The scheme also prohibits state regulators from requiring the removal of benzene from gas sold in their state. EPA calculates it would only cost one tenth of a penny per gallon to remove benzene from gas. Corporate bottom line is that trendy folks continue breathing bad air.
Thanks to Onward Oregon for the statistics.
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