Our Campaign

The Healthy Air Oregon campaign is a project to protect children’s health by helping businesses, governments and individuals take action to reduce benzene air pollution. OTA also recommends steps that individual car owners and gas stations can take to cut down on the amount of benzene and other hazardous air pollutants from tailpipe emissions, gas tanks and fueling activities. Benzene is an odorless, colorless part of your gasoline. Working together to reduce benzene pollution can improve air quality, protect health, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

More about the dangers of benzene

See our current business partners

Endorse our campaign (business, agency/non-profit, individual endorsement forms)

Model laws (municipal and county government) and business policy examples

————————————————————————————————————–

Oregon Toxics Alliance’s Healthy Air Oregon Project is working at several levels to reduce the amount of benzene in our air.

At the local level, we are working with local governments (See new 2011 rules established for Multnomah County fleet vehicles!), school districts, businesses (see sample internal business policy for Eugene Water and Electric Board), and individuals to reduce the amount of benzene and other harmful exhaust substances (including greenhouse gas emissions) released during auto idling and refueling activities. We encourage policies that limit unnecessary idling and discourage “topping-off” at gas stations. We also promote the creation of no-idle zones around schools, parks, and public places.

At the statewide level, OTA is working to establish new public health policies to limit idling times for government agency vehicles. And the No Idling initiative has dramatically expanded the number of business partners that are helping consumers to raise awareness about the cost benefits and public health benefits of ending the practice of idling.

In Summer 2009 we won a change in Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rules that require the use of vapor control devices at gas stations. We worked tirelessly with gas station owners, refueling companies, auto repair shops and health organizations to spur the DEQ to implement a statewide, non-legislative rule change to require emission control devices at the time that underground gas storage tanks are being refilled. This important win for environmental health was truly a collaborative, grassroots effort from multiple sources.

See the Oregon Toxics Alliance web site