Protesting Residents Cite Health Concerns Over 12 Lane Portland-Vancouver Bridge
Opponents of the proposed 12 lane Interstate 5 bridge linking Portland OR. and Vancouver WA., recently rallied in downtown Portland, citing health concerns regarding the project.
The massive bridge is the Columbia River Crossing project's response to a fast growing Northwest population.
Activists present at the rally found fault with 2008 Federal Highway and Transit Administration draft environmental impact statement which found that while increasing traffic drastically, the massive project would somehow lead to pollution reduction of 30 to 90 percent.
A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report paints a starkly contrasting picture, and expresses concern over how the above figures were drafted. According to EPA documents, the $4.2 billion project would likely lead to increased toxic chemical emissions in an area of Portland already notorious for pollution.
The north and northeast sections of Portland are associated with higher air pollution levels due to freeway proximity and industrial emissions. Recent studies have demonstrated that those living near or on a freeway face increased risk of benzene exposure. Exposure to the chemical has been linked to serious conditions like aplastic anemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Benzene is just one of many dangerous chemicals found in vehicle emissions.
Sylvia Evans, an environmental justice advocate from north Portland, expressed concern about the project.
"It will render that neighborhood uninhabitable, I don't think my health or my neighbors' is worth sacrificing for someone else's privilege to live, work, and play in two different states."
