Case Studies: North Portland Diesel Emissions Reduction Project
Portland, Oregon
Description: North Portland is the hub of distribution for the state and therefore has the highest levels of diesel emissions in the state (estimated at ~20 times the health standard). Community groups, regulators and private and public fleets (operating in or from N. Portland) collaborated to reduce fleet emissions through fuel and equipment upgrade projects.
Dates active: 2006
Web-site for project: http://www.orsolutions.org/metrohood/dieselem.htm
Sub-issue(s): Environment
Level(s): Neighborhood
Initiators: Oregon Solutions / Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski
Particular goals: To reduce diesel emissions - improvement in local air quality, which should improve the neighbors' health, and reduce the costs and risks of transition for the diesel fleet owners and operators
Number of participants/year: 85 stakeholders
Population of community: 30,537
Time spent by participants: Stakeholder group met 3 times
Staffing/funding: Staffed by Oregon Solutions, funding from public and private sources
How meetings were structured: Oregon Solutions project structure / meetings convened by two community leaders and facilitated by Oregon Solutions staff
Sample outcomes: Declaration of Cooperation - Group identified and made early commitments to areas they could pursue within their own organizations to reduce diesel emissions. The Declaration of Cooperation is considered a written agreement that brings forth solutions agreed to by the group. The proposed solutions will focus on voluntary actions that can be achieved without regulatory intervention. It is expected that several coordinated efforts will emerge including the use of cleaner fuels, add-on control devices and idle reduction strategies.
Benefits: "I get excited when I see public, nonprofit and private entities come together on projects like these. To me, this is what good governance is all about: creating the conditions for communities to thrive, business to grow, and the environment around us to be healthy. After all, if our air's not healthy, nothing else will be - not for long!" -Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury
Full story:
Related resources:
- See project Web page
Organizations that helped with this project: Oregon Solutions Project Team Members - http://www.orsolutions.org/docs/NPDERP_Contacts.pdf
This case contributed by: Policy Consensus Initiative, 2007