Environmental Projects
Promoting Livability
Public relation projects, voluntary certification programs and in depth studies are just a few of the NATA projects that work to raise the public's awareness and reduce the industry's impact on the environment both now and in the future. News Release 12/15/05: NATA's environmental efforts get boost from electric vehicle dealer.
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Now Available from DEQ: Air Bag Management Information for Vehicle Dismantlers Read more |
Clean Air Action Day Program
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) asked auto repair shops in the Portland Metro Area to once again participate in the "Clean Air Action Day" Program. Over 550 businesses in the Portland Metro Area were sent Clean Air Action Day Kits that included several "clean air" incentives aimed at curtailing summer ozone pollution in the Portland-Vancouver area. The program encouraged the public to take action on those days when temperatures climb above 90 degrees and there is little or no wind. This year the kit will once again include a car-maintenance coupon that, on the back, will list participating NATA shops that offer an incentive to encourage motorists to keep their car's pollution levels at a minimum.
DEQ has also expanded the distribution to include the general public. This will be accomplished by displaying clean Air Action Day Brochures in Fred Meyer, Albertson's, Safeway and DEQ's vehicle inspection stations. The brochure will include a business reply card with a check box for motorists to request coupons for environmentally friendly products and services.
"This project does several things for participating shops." Said Bob Anderson, AJ's Auto Repair. "First it promotes repair shops as advocates for clean air through regular vehicle maintenance along with placing us in the same league as PGE and Miller Paint." Other business partners include: Kaddy Car Washers and The Bike Gallery.
Find out how you can make a difference . Visit the DEQ site for more information about air pollution and the Clean Air Action Day program.
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Sustainable Auto Repair & Auto Body Study
View the DEQ Report
Sustainability is defined as using, developing and protecting resources at a rate and in a manner that enables people to meet their current needs and also provides that future generations can meet their own needs.
"Sustainability requires simultaneously meeting Environmental, Economical and Community needs"
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Northwest Automotive Trades Association (NATA) partnered to investigate the feasibility of expanding the Ecological Business Certification Program by adding a perspective of environmental sustainability based on the Natural Step framework. Participants from fifteen automotive shops and service organizations were invited to meet in a series of six two-hour meetings to create a vision of what a fully sustainable automotive service operation might look like if it met the four system conditions of The Natural Step.
In these meetings the participants examined the work processes in an automotive services operation, developed an aspects and impacts analysis of those processes, scored each aspect for its degree of unsustainability, and developed a vision or defined goal as to how each aspect could be managed if it were fully sustainable. This vision of sustainability was then used to create an implementation timeline with potential actions that operators could begin taking now to move their shops toward sustainability.
This Sustainability Implementation Plan gives both the auto shops and DEQ valuable insights as to how to apply The Natural Step four system conditions to reduce environmental liability improve worker safety and increase profits within the auto services industry.
For the business owners this Plan offers a basis for making capital equipment and other business decisions in a more prudent manner. For DEQ and other policy makers this Plan can be used as a tool to proactively guide future activities in an area that will most likely receive closer scrutiny.
With interest in environmental sustainability growing faster in Oregon than most parts of the United States, Oregon has an opportunity to be a model and play a leadership role in the movement toward sustainability.
Learn more by visiting the DEQ website.
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Columbia South Shore Well Field Wellhead Protection Program
New Regulations Affecting Your Business
The Columbia South Shore Well Field serves as a supplemental water supply for more than 800,000 people in the Portland metro area. New regulations are in place in Portland, Gresham and Fairview to protect the groundwater in the Well Field.
The program will affects certain businesses located in the Wellhead Protection Area (see map). If you use or store certain chemicals on your property, you may be impacted by the proposed regulations.
Q. What does this mean to automotive related businesses?
A. Automotive related businesses include: auto repair shops, auto-recycling facilities (auto wrecking and salvage yards), auto body shops etc.
If you are within the protection area and use, handle, store or transport more than any of the following you will be subject to the new regulations.
- 10 gallons of halogenated solvents
- 50 gallons of carcinogenic, toxic or petroleum based fuel material
- 30 gallons of DEQ hazardous waste
Q. Is technical assistance available to help me with determining whether I am affected?
A. Technical assistance is available through the Columbia Corridor Association (503) 287-8686 who can help you with on-site compliance questions, the Portland Water Bureau (503) 823-7493 and the Northwest Automotive Trades Association.Department of Environmental Quality and the Northwest Automotive Trades Association.
Q. What are the requirements?
A. Operations that are within the protection area will be required to submit chemical use reports, provide on-site containment and develop hazardous material management plans. A reference manual with requirements, chemical lists and maps is available to help you meet the responsibility.
Q. How long do I have to comply?
A. The program has been in place since July, 2003. Requirements are phased in over five years. The first compliance deadline is June 30, 2005 for indoor and outdoor storage areas. Compliance typically means having secondary containment. Newly constructed business sites and modifications of existing facilities will be required to be in compliance at the time of construction
Q. How will the rules be enforced?
A. The requirements are modeled after the Uniform Fire Code regulations governing the handling, use and storage of hazardous materials. Because of this similarity, your fire inspector will handle inspection and enforcement for the Wellhead Protection Program.
For more information, visit the Portland Water Bureau website.
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