Washington, D.C.– Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley joined his Senate colleagues to introduce new legislation that would help state, local, and Tribal government agencies monitor worsening air pollution caused by wildfires and make more informed public health decisions.
“When the 2020 Labor Day fires swept across Oregon, I drove over 600 miles and never once escaped the smoke that blanketed our state. Oregonians are facing yet another deadly fire season this year, and it is essential that our communities have all the necessary tools to respond to wildfires and smoke-related threats,” said Merkley. “Our bill helps communities plan for and cope with hazardous air quality caused by wildfire smoke, which threatens public health, disrupts daily life, and shows just how devastating climate chaos-fueled fires can be.”
Merkley cosponsored the Wildfire Air Quality Sensor Expansion Act—led by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)—that would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to create and expand new and existing grant and loan programs allowing agencies to purchase and operate portable air sensors. Portable air sensors are a low-cost technology that can measure and detect harmful pollutants caused by wildfire smoke. Increasing access to air quality information will help leaders make better decisions for public health and wildfire response.
Merkley has been a longtime leader in the fight to prepare for and mitigate the worst impacts of wildfires. He leads a series of bills to support mills processing hazardous fuels coming off public lands, train the new generation of wildland firefighters, aid toxic debris cleanup following wildfires, bolster collaborative forest management, promote renewable fuels to boost wildfire resiliency, and streamline the use of prescribed burns. He also wrote the Wildfire Insurance Affordability Act to lower home insurance rates in communities at risk of fires and the Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act to strengthen federal support in the face of wildfire smoke threats.
Full text of the Wildfire Air Quality Sensor Expansion Act can be found by clicking here.
###