Wiebush, AmandaLervisit, PiyaponQian, Alice2013-07-262013-07-262013-07https://hdl.handle.net/1794/13035Examining committee: Colleen ChrisingerPortland, Oregon’s airshed contains 19 toxic compounds with levels that exceed Oregon’s benchmarks (Learn, n.d.). In Portland, the cancer risk for some toxics is over 100 times the benchmarks in some census blocks (Flatt, 2007). Neighbors for Clean Air (NCA) which is an environmental non-profit organization, formed when it discovered that almost a third of Portland neighborhoods’ air quality ranks in the bottom one percent nationally (Learn, n.d.), and ranks third for cancer risk (US Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.). NCA is concerned about the health impacts caused by exceeding these benchmarks, so it is currently working to pass HB3492 in the Oregon legislature. The bill is intended to include toxic air emissions in the current Oregon Toxics Use Reduction Act. Due to the proposal that the bill requires businesses to create plans and develop technically and economically practicable ways to reduce their toxic air emissions, the bill can be seen as an increase of stringent air quality regulations. However, the bill has already begun to receive industry pushback regarding its perceptions as a job killer and an increased cost for business.en-USAll Rights Reserved.Other