PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Department of Environment Quality has issued an order Bullseye Glass to cease use of several air pollutants for 10 days.
The cease and desist order comes at Governor Kate Brown’s direction after air monitoring results at a daycare center near Bullseye showed immediate, short-term health risks from lead levels.
“Public health and safety are my highest priorities,�?Brown said. “This swift action and public notification will help ensure the well being of local residents who live and work in the area. Clean air is vital to the health and safety of our community.�?
Results showed the lead levels were 4 times the 24-hour benchmark.
More tests on Friday showed a second-straight day of unsafe lead levels, according to the DEQ.
During a press conference Thursday night Oregon Health Authority toxicologist David Farrer said finding high lead levels was particularly concerning because of the proximity to a daycare center. “Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can really affect the development of the brains of young children,” Farrer said.
Bullseye Glass is ordered to stop using lead, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, all chromium compounds, cobalt, manganese, nickel and selenium in any uncontrolled furnace for the next 10 days.
Bullseye Glass Co. vice president Jim Jones said in a statement to KOIN 6 News they are concerned the DEQ issued the order based on a single data point. He also mentioned construction and digging near the air monitoring station that he hopes the DEQ is aware of.
Jones said Bullseye has one bag house filter that controls one furnace and they are working on a larger system to control several furnaces. That system will be completed in early August.
The DEQ said the bag house is not currently online because Bullseye was experiencing issues with it, so it was not in use during the recent testing.
Bullseye told KOIN in March that certain elements on the list are necessary to make certain colors they rely on for their business.
“These new restrictions are a substantial impact to our business, which is making it extremely difficult for Bullseye Glass to move forward,” Jones said.
Bullseye Glass released a public statement Friday, May 20 questioning the DEQ’s actions and intentions. “Why did DEQ add additional metals to the Cease and Desist Order, metals that have not exceeded benchmarks or health standards �?unless the real goal is to put Bullseye out of business?”
The statement on the Bullseye website also stated that due to the new restrictions on raw materials, they would be forced to lay off employees beginning Monday, May 23.
“Over the past four months, Bullseye has tried to be a model of how a business can work with DEQ to solve problems once they come to light. Our goal since the beginning of this ordeal has been to become the cleanest manufacturer of colored art glass in the US,” the statement said.
The statement on the Bullseye website also stated that due to the new restrictions on raw materials, they would be forced to lay off employees beginning Monday, May 23.
