The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued NW Metals an air quality permit for its metal shredder at its new location on N. Columbia Boulevard, imposing operating limits and giving DEQ regulatory oversight to hold NW Metals accountable. This permit includes additional requirements based on the Cleaner Air Oregon health risk assessment, which took into account NW Metals' pollutants and its impacts to the community.
Final permitting documents
NW Metals Risk Assessment
The
NW Metals Risk Assessment Results meet Oregon standards that are protective of health. Risk assessments are estimates of people's increased health risk from living near a proposed facility and being exposed to a facility's emissions. These are required before DEQ can issue the facility an Air Quality permit to ensure that its emissions will meet health standards.
There are four levels of Risk Assessment in the CAO program and DEQ used a Level 1 Risk Assessment for NW Metals. A Level 1 Risk Assessment includes the most protective assumptions and overestimates risk for setting limits on emissions from a facility.
NW Metals Air Contaminant Discharge Permit application documents
On Feb. 12, 2020, DEQ received an
air quality permit application from NW Metals for their Killingsworth location. DEQ received a
Land Use Compatibility Statement, approved by the City of Portland, on March 13, 2020. When NW Metals decided to change locations, DEQ allowed them to submit an application including only the items that had changed and allowed NW Metals to carry over the remaining, unchanged parts of the application.
On Aug. 16, 2020, DEQ received an
air quality permit application to DEQ for the N. Columbia Blvd location and a copy of the facility’s approved
Land Use Compatibility Statement from the City of Portland. On Aug. 27, 2020, DEQ received a
letter from NW Metals informing the agency that it completed the move from the Killingsworth location to the N. Columbia Blvd location.
Community outreach
DEQ conferred with community members from the Cully neighborhood and St. Johns neighborhood about ways to notify the community about the air quality permit, and followed their advice, which included posting flyers in community locations, emailing local schools and translating materials into Spanish. DEQ held two virtual public hearings on Dec. 12 and Dec. 15, 2020, to discuss the NW Metals air permit application and health risk assessment summary.
These comments informed the conditions of the permit, including changes to the risk assessment and the addition of a dust control plan that NW Metals will implement immediately.
Resources used in NW Metals Risk Assessment
Note: These are the documents as of the posting of the public notice. Some may be updated in response to comments received during the public comment period.
Other permits
Solid Waste Permit
The Oregon Department of Transportation approved NW Metals' application for a new dismantler certificate on Jan. 4, 2021. Comments associated with solid and hazardous waste have been referred to DEQ staff with those environmental programs. At this time, there are no solid waste or hazardous waste permits required for NW Metals.
Water Quality Permits
At this time, there are no water quality permits required for NW Metals.