Written comments due: 5 p.m October 27, 2003

Mailing address: 2146 N.E. 4^th Street, Bend, Oregon 97701.

Fax: (541) 388-8283

E-mail: hough.bonnie@deq.state.or.us

What are DEQ’s responsibilities? The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the regulatory agency that helps protect and preserve Oregon’s environment. DEQ is responsible for protecting and enhancing Oregon’s water and air quality, for cleaning up spills and releases of hazardous materials, and for managing the proper disposal of hazardous and solid wastes. One way DEQ does this is by requiring permits for certain activities.

The purpose of this notice is to invite you to make comments on this proposed permit.

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One thing we learned at the DEQ meeting in Lorella last week is something that should concern all of us who are residents of Langell Valley or even of Klamath County.

We were told that "the air quality standards were based on a healthy adult, and that others, particulary the elderly and children, might be more affected by air quality pollutants even when the standards are met."

Some EPA materials on the website - such as the report at the website address below - state that sensitive populations might be affected by air pollutants even in areas that meet the federally-set air quality standards.

http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/contaminants/e3.htm

It sounds as though the EPA or the folks who set these standards don't care about the very young, the elderly, and others that could be classified in "sensitive populations." It seems to me that these are the members of our communities for whom we should show the most concern when deciding whether a profit-seeking company can spew hazardous pollutants into our atmosphere.

Lyn Brock