Dear Kenton Friends and Neighbors,

Thank you for signing up for information about the use of leaded fuel at PIR. There are 32 folks who have signed up on our page dedicated to the issue of Leaded Gasoline at PIR. Do spread the word to your friends and neighbors. Summer has slowed things down, but we will not stop until there is no lead used at PIR or other public facilities.

Meeting with Commission who oversees Portland parks, Carmen Rubio

On May 13th we had a Zoom meeting with Commissioner Carmen Rubio and her staff. The Commissioner also invited Nikki Gamell, PIR Business Office Manager, Ron Huegli, Track Manager and Lauren Wirtis, Oregon DEQ. The PIR representatives stated that little leaded fuel was sold but they do not record information on its actual use. Lauren Wirtis referred to the 2017 Industrial Hygiene Report done by the firm G2 Consultants. The report states that “ The EPA does not have a National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead” and “Additional long-term ambient lead modeling and data collection would be needed to be performed”. We do not think this is a sufficiently high enough standard to risk our children’s health. You can view a pdf for the report on the PIR website. The Environmental Committee is reaching out to the Oregon Health Authority to more fully understand the DEQ consultant report and explore current research.

The Kenton Neighborhood Association was disappointed in the tone of the meeting and notes that there appeared to be little interest or engagement by the Commissioner Rubio. Therefore we will be writing a follow up message and press release to distribute to all members of the Portland City Council, Multnomah County Commissioners and the press. When this goes out, it would be great if you also connected with council members to express your concern.

Additional information

We are fortunate to have Kristy Lanciotti, a Pediatric Environmental Nurse who lives in Kenton and is willing to help us sort through the health information. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that no amount of lead is safe in children. We need to demand zero tolerance. Also, there is danger in soil accumulation, especially because lead builds up over time. We need to look into soil testing, particularly at Child Care Centers, schools and the Community Garden.

If you are concerned your child may have been exposed to lead, request a blood lead test through their primary health care provider. Your health care provider can contact the Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) with any questions. Free consults can be requested by calling 1-206-221-8671 or emailing pehsu@uw.edu. Additional information about lead and children’s health can be found on the Oregon Health Authority’s website. Some simple steps you can take to reduce your child’s risk of exposure to lead and other harmful substances in the environment include: wash children’s hands often, especially before meals and after playing outside; clean or remove shoes before entering your home to avoid tracking in soil; and regularly wet-wipe floors, window sills, and other surfaces.

Please consider contacting members of the Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Health Department at any time and be ready to raise your voices again when we distribute the upcoming Press Release.

No amount of Lead is acceptable. Demand Lead Free Parks!

Sincerely,

The KNA Environmental Committee

Terrence Moses

Chris Guthrie

Linda Wysong

Ryan Pittel

Patricia O’Brannon