Lawmaker seeks ban of toxic fuel at Portland racetrack after Guardian story | Oregon
An Oregon legislator has moved to prohibit the use of lead fuel in a race track in Portland after the community outcry and a Guardian investigation.
Lead fuel has been prohibited for use in regular cars for decades, due to the toxic and irreversible impact of lead on the brain and the human body, because the particles are emitted from exhaust tupeaux. However, it is always legal to use lead petrol in off -road vehicles, such as agricultural equipment – and racing cars.
Recent research has linked lead gas emissions, hippodromes to cognitive disability in children living nearby.
The Guardian has calculated that third -year students – students aged eight or nine – who grew up to less than two miles from Portland International Raceway may have a decrease of more than six points from their standardized results.
The bill, which was presented to the Oregon Legislative Assembly in February, would prohibit lead fuel consumption in the races in Oregon cities with populations of more than 500,000. This would specifically affect the Portland International Raceway (PIR), the only runway in Oregon in a big city.
The bill is sponsored by Travis Nelson, a state representative, whose staff affirms that the Guardian’s investigation “contributed to the capacity of the Nelson representative to obtain a bill to prohibit lead gas in Portland International Raceway”.
As the Guardian has reported, lead petrol is used regularly in dozens of track tracks in the United States.
“Lead is a well documented risk, prohibited worldwide for a good reason. However, lead fuel continues to be used near people who live in the region, including schools, daycares and parks. The use of leaded gas at PIR is something that my voters have spoken for a very long time.
The Nelson district includes the North Portland districts closest to the racetrack. Its efforts are the last stage of a battle for several years between the district, racing enthusiasts outside the city and the race track itself, which belongs and operates by the city of Portland.
Linda Wysong, a resident who lives near the track, said recent research required urgent action. “The extent of the potential damage to using lead fuel in the race is a relatively new conclusion. Now we know this danger, it’s time to act.
A spokesperson for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), the department that supervises PIR, said that the dependence on the racetrack on events has made it difficult to remove the use of fuel with lead. “PP&R is ready to fully eliminate lead fuel consumption at the PIR at the end of a feasibility study process and transition planning that helps identify the solutions that will appease the concerns of the community, recognize the historical importance of the site and identify a financially sustainable future for installation.”
As written, the bill would give the Hippodrome three years to eliminate the use of fuel with lead. It is due to the examination by Oregon legislators in the coming weeks.
