August 31, 2025 • 29 mins
Oregon DEQ has a plan to deal with PFAS forever chemicals. Oregon is adding child care and reducing child care deserts. The PDX Airport project is getting closer to its end. AAA studied Traffic Jam Assistance Technology and found it doesn't always work.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality has developed a program to deal with
forever chemicals. Oregon is making progress reducing childcare deserts. The
end is approaching to the construction project at Portland International
Airport and testing traffic jam assistance technology in vehicles. The
(00:28):
Oregon Department of Environmental Qualities developed a plan to deal
with p fox chemicals. They're called forever chemicals. Latania Jackson
with the Oregon DEQ joins us in Local Voices to
discuss the plan. Latania, what are p fox chemicals and
why are they a problem?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
P FOS, which is short for per and polyfloral iql substances,
are large family of man made chemicals that are widely
used in commercial and consumer products such as our nonstic products,
water and stain resistant fabrics. They're also using industrial processes
and manufacturing for things like firefighting foam. And they've been
(01:08):
around for a while and they've been in use heavily
since their discovery back in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now have p fix chemicals been detected in Oregon?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yes, PFIs has been detected in Oregon. They've been detected
in our land, air, and our water and wildlife across
the state, as well as in the blood of humans.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
So what are the concerns about pfos.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, the fact that PFIs are built to last is
the problem. You know, they are good for the properties
that they have for you know, being added to all
of our you know, products, consumer products and so on.
The issue is that they don't break down and they
stay in the environment for a long time. And that's
(01:56):
why p files will referred to as forevery chemical and
because of their widespread use, and they're in everything. They
are everywhere, So as I've already mentioned, they're in our households, air, land,
and water, the surface waters that we see even in
the oceans, and the groundwater that we can't see and
(02:19):
in my life now. They're very mobile as well, so
meaning that they could easily move from one place to another,
whether it's through from land to water or from air
to land, and they can travel long distances away from
the original source of the PFOSS contamination in the first place.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So what are PIFI sources in a home and is
that something we need to be concerned about.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yes, we should be concerned about PIFI sources in our
home and trying to kind of mitigate or prevent some
of those sources. So some of the sources in the home,
you'd be very surprised are things like our electric front its,
nail polish, the dust, our furniture, carpets, are our sofas,
(03:06):
you know, nonstick cook wear, some some of our foods,
possibly fish, our dental flows, and even our shampoo and
some of our cleaning.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Products dental flows. So we're putting that in our mouth.
Is that something we should be concerned about?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, the amount of PE files that is actually in
the dental floss is probably not enough for us to
worry about if it's only if we're only being exposed
to light the dental.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Flaws especial once a day or whatever.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Right, right, it's just accumulation and the combination of just
everything all the way around.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So Oregon d EQ released it's p FOSS Strategic Planet
has four parts Reduce, manage, research, and engage. How would
p FOSS be for what efforts would be done to
reduce p fos under the plan?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
The PREFIX Strategic Plan is first and foremost a dqide plan,
and the plan provides DQ programs with an overarching framework
for p FoST management and i'll work with the broader public.
The plan outlines a multimedia, comprehensive approach that tackles p
FOS contaminations from multiple angles, so the first being source reduction.
(04:30):
So DQ is working to decrease p FIS entering into
the environment by leveraging and building on our existing state
and federal actions to reduce the presence of PFIs in consumer, industrial,
and commercial products and encourage consumer support of p FoST
free products. And we're also expanding and promoting technical information,
(04:54):
educational materials, and our community outreach, and that's I can angle.
Our focus is managing releases and emissions of p files
to the environment in the first place. So DQ is
totally committed to identifying and addressing areas already impacted by
p files, because that's just one of those things that
(05:17):
happened with its use over all that time. So we
can limit future p files introductions and releases and an
emissions by leveraging DQ's regulatory authority that we already have,
by managing and mitigating existing p FIST contamination in the environment,
(05:37):
and to ensure a safe and proper management of p
files contaminated waste, and this is so critical to sake
or both our human health and our environmental resources. Our
third angle or focus is to build a robust science
and solid scientific foundation, and we'll do that by doing
(05:59):
research in gathering scientific data on p FIS to aid
in our decision making. So d Q has already increased
its laboratory analytical methods to detect, quantify, and evaluate PVASS
in the AirLand and the water and also in the wildlife.
These methods are essential for identifying which p FIS compounds
(06:22):
are present, how much of it is there, and where
they come from and where are their original sources. And
this is a great feat because our lab now serves
as the principal state lab for drinking water analysis for
PFASs detection. Because our lab at DQ, you can detect
(06:44):
p FIS at APA's recommended MCLs. So another way we're
accomplishing this goal is by developing and maintaining our monitoring
activities across the environmental media in organ to assess the
risk to the public health and to our environment. And
(07:06):
it allows us to gauge the risks, identify the contamination sites,
and evaluate the effectiveness of what we're doing and what
we're working on our mitigation efforts.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
And.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Will also be systematically collecting, curating, and making accessible the
data of p files occurrence, it's distribution around the state
and the trends of p files within organ and that
is extremely important because it supports evidence based policy decisions
(07:41):
that we make. It's important for community awareness, and it
allows for tracking our progress and identifying areas needing further attention.
So our final angle or focus is engaging and collaborating
with our internal and external parties, and these include parties
(08:02):
such as the EPA, Oregon Health Authorities, the Tribes and
Oregon nonprofit organizations, and local community organizations as well. And
we do that to support ongoing research and development of
novel and innovative solutions for p files. It's detection, how
(08:27):
we remediate it, and how we communicate the risks. So
we are presently building strong internal coordination within our own
DQ programs and more collaborations with external parties in order
to pool our resources, our expertise, and the data. And
(08:47):
this is going to enhance our efficiency and ensure that
all aspects of peace files contamination are addressed comprehensively and
over time you're going to routinely evaluate in the mini
this PFOLE strategic plan. The reason for that is we
want to incorporate the latest scientific data, the legislative changes,
(09:09):
regulatory development, and feedback from the impacted populations. And because
the technology is increasing so fast, we want to make
sure that we are staying ahead of the game and
with the game.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Latania, sure is a comprehensive plan. Anything else that you
want listeners to know, either about p fos or the
state's response, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Well, for the state, our goal at the Q simple
when it comes to p files, and that is to
keep organ's environments in our families safe. And we are
doing everything that we can and we are tackling p
FOSS from every angle, so we are not just sitting
around waiting to be reactive. Orgon DQ is being very
(09:57):
proactive and when it comes to FI, just as we
have been with other contaminives of concern.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Latania, thanks for joining us on local voices. That's Latania
Jackson with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality explaining the
DEEQS p FOSS strategic plan to tackle forever chemicals and
protect public health. Oregon is making progress reducing childcare deserts
by increasing the number of child care facilities. Meghan Pratt
(10:27):
is an Associate Professor of Practice in the OSU College
of Health and the Extension Family and Care Health Program,
and she studied childcare access in Oregon. Meghan, what are
childcare deserts?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, so a childcare desert has been used as a
metric to say, it's simply how many slots or spaces
are available in licensed childcare settings across the state and
comparing that to the population of children of different ages,
(11:02):
so that ratio is used. And then whenever there is
a community where there's more than three children for every
one of those slots, it it can be labeled as
a as a childcare desert, meaning that there's a significant
inadequacy of supply available in that region.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Right, it's really difficult to get childcare in those areas.
The report looks at childcare that was available last year
in Oregon. What did the report find?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, so the report found some promising estimates. So it
really found that really when you look at simply the
supply side that the state across all the counties has increased,
So there has been an increase in supply and that
has translated to a decrease in the number of those
(12:00):
counties that are childcare desert. So it's moved a number
of additional counties out of that childcare desert status for
preschool aged children. So that's really about the three to
five year olds is where we're seeing that movement out
of desert status.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
What is Oregon doing to increase childcare the amount of
childcare in the state.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
This report does a nice job of It shows that
there is a lot going on that is moving the
needle in terms of increasing the childcare supply that's available.
There's state level efforts, there is a federal funding that
has been used, especially after COVID and relief funding that's
(12:51):
been invested into the childcare system. And there's a lot
going on at the local level and in partnership with business.
Is that is all contributing to this improved story that
we're able to tell.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Is there a difference in childcare that's available in urban
areas compared to rural areas.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yes, And when we've dug into each county and even
within each county Oregon, all childcare is very very local
and shaped by the resources available, shaped by the types
of jobs that people need, and so that shapes what
kind of care in the hours they operate. But in general,
(13:37):
and we look across the state, there is more childcare available,
generally in more populated parts of the state than in
our more rural regions. We also find that publicly funded childcare,
so in early education, so head Start, Preschool Promise OPK,
or Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten, those types of programs play
(14:02):
a much larger role in making up the overall supply,
so there's fewer slots, so there's fewer spaces available, but
they the public those publicly funded programs make up over
half in a lot of our rural counties of what's available.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Was there an increase in small in home daycare.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yes, there was for the first time in a very
long time, well very long probably since twenty fourteen, maybe earlier.
So there's been a long decline over time with family
childcare and especially small home which is typically one person,
often a woman, who is caring for a relatively small
(14:49):
group of children. And so we're really excited to see
I think it's a little little under one thousand additional
slot have been added in that in that care type,
which is I know many regions have been focusing on
on doing on bringing this type of care back. It
(15:11):
often meets the needs of families for whom other more
centers or even larger homes are not are not the
right fit. And they're also very popular with infants and
toddlers where people want a more family type environment.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I think it's the high cost of childcare that caused
the childcare deserts to form in Oregon.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
It's a very significant driver of of of care, and
the financing aspects of the childcare system are are huge,
and it's both. It's it's this challenging piece of parents
are the primary funder of childcare, and in our state,
(16:04):
most of what comes through revenue wise for the childcare
system is paid for by parents, and they're facing high tuitions,
so they and fees, they are facing high prices. At
the same time, the providers who and the the programs
that are serving them are are operating on very slim
(16:24):
margins and so it's a real difficult business to to
keep afloat, especially when reliant on what parents can afford.
So it's kind of this it's this complicated dynamic of
both high prices for parents that make it hard for
them to access and then providers doing their best to
(16:47):
keep prices at a reasonable level for parents, but needing
to pay their people will in order to recruit and
retain a workforce that is happy to come to work
and and stays in the field.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
And you want to have good qualified employees taking care
of your kids when you know you take a kid
into day care. Yeah, is there a concern about federal
funding that might impact day careen Oregon?
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yes, I would say there is a there there is concern.
So putting this report out, we've been really we were
we were cautiously optimistic. We're we're excited to say, yes,
there's we're seeing supply increase. This is signal that that
is happening. But we also know it's a very precarious
(17:37):
system that uh and we know that even the loss
and you can see it in some of our counties,
even the loss of a few programs can lead can
have a cascading effect on on a community in a
in a negative way. So there is a lot of
attention to what happens next and in terms of investments
(18:00):
at the local, state, and federal level, and can we
sustain and hopefully continue to improve having a wide variety
of options available for families.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Yeah, and something to keep an eye on as we
learn more about the federal cuts. How would you sum
up the findings of the report.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
We'd sum it up as saying that there's across the
different for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, we've seen in the
last two years an increase in supply and that's very
heartening and a good signal that the work being done
by policymakers, by practitioners is working. At the same time,
(18:44):
we still know even though we've increased in supply our
zero to two year old age group you probably saw
at all but two counties are still considered childcare deserts.
So even though there's been some really nice growth in
the supply for the stage group, there's still a lot
more need. It's a promising story with I need to
(19:07):
dig in more to the details. It raises more questions
than answers.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And more work to do. It sounds like to I hope, so, Megan,
thanks for joining us on Local Voices. That's Megan Pratton,
Associate Professor of Practice in the OSU College of Health
and the Extension Family and Community Health Program, discussing her
research on Childcare and Oregon and a reduction in childcare deserts.
(19:34):
Construction continues at Portland International Airport. It's been a years
since the main terminal rosary modeled. Vince Gronado, the PDX
next Chief project's officer, joins us on Local Voices for
an update. Vince, where are we at in the project
right now?
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Right?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
So, we are working on Phase two, which is on
the north and the south ends, which is where everybody
used to go through the security checkpoints and so we
had to go back can demolish all of those spaces
and we're rebuilding those areas and so we're on schedule.
We'll open those up next spring. We're still working through
(20:11):
the exact dates on when we'll do that and what
you're going to.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Get back there.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Is the best part of it is we're going to
shorten the walk and we've heard that certainly from everybody
that that's the walk through the bypasses and getting around
the construction is longer than what they're used to, and
so those will go away.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Coming next spring.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
So we're excited about that, but there'll be more concessions.
We'll also have the new exits and so you'll have
the automated exit doors like we used to have where
you'll go straight out and then eventually you'll be able
to go straight down into the baggage claim area, and
so we're working on that as well. So it's going well.
(20:56):
We just at this point we just need to execute
and finish up the last bit of work.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
And looking back at the last year for the new terminal,
you know, what, what have you heard from people who
have gone through it and looked at it and you know,
seen the trees and the you know, the locally sourced
wood in the in the ceiling.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
You know, it's it's been phenomenal.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
It's surprising that we're already at a year and I
still hear from people. In fact, I was walking through
the building this morning and you still be still see
people taking selfies looking around and acknowledging just how beautiful
it is. And so we've gotten nothing but fantastic responses
(21:40):
from everybody that they just love the openness of it,
the feel of it, the wood obviously, the trees, and
just how it makes everybody feel. And you just still
see a lot of smiling faces as everybody goes through it.
And you know, from a project standpoint too, the building works,
The design was terrific, and it's pretty easy to navigate,
(22:02):
and we had that before and we wanted to make
sure that we kept that moving forward. And so just
all those things that we had that everybody loved about
the airport we feel like are still there. It's just
bigger and brighter, and again, just that local connection that
we made with the community. I think it is just
something that everybody has really appreciated.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
It looks like you've gotten a lot of national recognition
awards from a variety of the Washington Post and Travel
and Leisure. I mean, that's got to be reassuring for
all the work that you've put into it.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
It has and it's really rewarding, I would say, because
for many years we were number one or number two
in travel and leisure for many many years in a row,
and we knew we would probably end up taking a
dip when you're going through the construction.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
But to have the Washington Post come out and give
us the number.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
One airport and travel and leisure and believe we were
number two, and so certainly that recognition is great.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
There's been some international recognition.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
As well on the design and the architecture, so we've
appreciated that and those are rewarding absolutely. But I think
for us, the fact that the local community I think
remains in love with the airport, and that is a
unique thing here in Portland, that everybody loves the airport.
And I think the fact that we were able to
(23:25):
take what we had, make it bigger, make it better, that,
I think is what we take the most satisfaction.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
From PDX is accepting applications for two new pop up
retail spots.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Yes, so out in front there are two shops out there,
Rox Leather and Missionary Chocolates, and it can be expensive
to set up a shop at the airport, but in
these particular shops, the port built those out and opened
our request for proposal process and Missionary and ros Leather
(24:00):
won the right to do that for the first eighteen
months and their time is coming to the end. And
so we're going to give some other folks, ideally some
small businesses, the opportunity to come in and.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
See what it's like to work at the airport. The
airport's a.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Complicated environment, understanding traffic flows and seasonality, and it can
be a little overwhelming for small business and so this
is a great way to kind of stick your toe
in the water, so to speak, and learn what it's
like to be at the airport, and then maybe at
some point some of these small businesses can grow up
and get into a more permanent location further down the road.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And I see there's some changes in the pre security
Art gallery coming.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Yes, there are, so we are continuing to add more
spaces in there and new exhibits. There'll be a lot
more art that you're going to see as part of
the second phase of the project as well.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
So you know, much of the.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Art that's been there I think has been very well received,
but we continually change that out to keep the opportunities
fresh and connect with our local artists and get more
people an opportunities. So you'll see a lot more of that,
especially once we get the second phase open.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Terrific, Vince, anything else you want to add that I
didn't ask you about.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
There's a lot of pride in the folks that are
building this project, and it helps keep everybody motivated when
they get the reactions and as they tell their friends
and their family what they're working on, and you get
such a great positive reaction.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
We've been at it for a.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
Long time, and we know airports have construction and I
think that just the pride of the people who've worked
on this project, It just it helps motivate everybody to
make sure we just get it all.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Done and finish strong. So we're really looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Vince, thanks for joining us on local voices. That's Vince Granado,
the PDX next Chief Projects Officer for Portland International Airport
and an update now on the construction project to remodel
the terminals. New technology in vehicles makes them safer, but
it doesn't always work. Triple A recently conducted a study
(26:08):
on technology to help drivers in traffic jams. Triple A's
Marie Dons explains what it is.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
Advanced vehicle technology is becoming more and more common on
new vehicles, but these systems don't work well in all
driving scenarios. The latest testing by Triple A Automotive engineers
evaluated low speed capable active driving assistance systems, also known
as traffic jam assistants. These systems control the vehicle speed,
maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front,
(26:36):
and keep the vehicle centered in the lane in low speed,
congested traffic.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Triple A researchers put some of those vehicles to the
test to see how well the technology works.
Speaker 6 (26:45):
Our Triple A testing shows that these systems had trouble
every nine minutes on average in heavy traffic. Testing by
our Triple A Automotive engineers shows that these technologies can
help in certain driving situations, but they never replace an
engaged driver. While traffic jam assistance is designed to work
in congested traffic, these systems can have trouble every nine minutes,
(27:08):
which means that drivers need to always stay alert and
be ready to take over control of the vehicle. In total,
notable events were recorded every three point two miles, which
is about every nine minutes on average. A notable event
is defined as any situation in which the system failed
to handle the driving conditions adequately, as determined by the
researcher driving the vehicle.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
There are several incidents that occurred during most of the testing.
Speaker 6 (27:32):
The most common incidents reported were inadequate responses to cut ins,
which required a researcher to intervene ninety percent of the time.
Cut Ins are defined as instances when a vehicle enters
the lane directly in front of the test vehicle. The
second most frequent issue was inadequate lane centering assistance. Lane
centering is a driver assistance system that uses cameras and
(27:54):
other sensors to keep the vehicle centered within its lane,
providing steering assistance to prevent.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
What was involved.
Speaker 6 (28:01):
In doing the research, Triple A used five new vehicles
from the twenty twenty four model year for this testing.
Each test vehicle was outfitted with equipment that was used
to continuously record data during testing. Each vehicle was driven
an average of three hundred and forty two miles over
a period of more than sixteen hours with GPS data, video,
(28:21):
and audio continuously recorded to capture traffic conditions, vehicle behavior,
and driver observations. Triple A is sharing this research with
industry leaders and automakers. Collaboration is key to enhance testing
and to expand consumer education about how these advanced driver
assistance technologies work as they become more widely available.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
As Triple A's Marie dodds with details on their research
into traffic jam assistance technology in vehicles. Thanks for listening
to Local Voices, I'm brad Board. You can hear past
episodes on the iHeartRadio app under the podcast tab Local
Voices is a public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio.
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality has developed a program to deal with
forever chemicals. Oregon is making progress reducing childcare deserts. The
end is approaching to the construction project at Portland International
Airport and testing traffic jam assistance technology in vehicles. The
(00:28):
Oregon Department of Environmental Qualities developed a plan to deal
with p fox chemicals. They're called forever chemicals. Latania Jackson
with the Oregon DEQ joins us in Local Voices to
discuss the plan. Latania, what are p fox chemicals and
why are they a problem?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
P FOS, which is short for per and polyfloral iql substances,
are large family of man made chemicals that are widely
used in commercial and consumer products such as our nonstic products,
water and stain resistant fabrics. They're also using industrial processes
and manufacturing for things like firefighting foam. And they've been
(01:08):
around for a while and they've been in use heavily
since their discovery back in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now have p fix chemicals been detected in Oregon?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yes, PFIs has been detected in Oregon. They've been detected
in our land, air, and our water and wildlife across
the state, as well as in the blood of humans.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
So what are the concerns about pfos.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, the fact that PFIs are built to last is
the problem. You know, they are good for the properties
that they have for you know, being added to all
of our you know, products, consumer products and so on.
The issue is that they don't break down and they
stay in the environment for a long time. And that's
(01:56):
why p files will referred to as forevery chemical and
because of their widespread use, and they're in everything. They
are everywhere, So as I've already mentioned, they're in our households, air, land,
and water, the surface waters that we see even in
the oceans, and the groundwater that we can't see and
(02:19):
in my life now. They're very mobile as well, so
meaning that they could easily move from one place to another,
whether it's through from land to water or from air
to land, and they can travel long distances away from
the original source of the PFOSS contamination in the first place.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So what are PIFI sources in a home and is
that something we need to be concerned about.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yes, we should be concerned about PIFI sources in our
home and trying to kind of mitigate or prevent some
of those sources. So some of the sources in the home,
you'd be very surprised are things like our electric front its,
nail polish, the dust, our furniture, carpets, are our sofas,
(03:06):
you know, nonstick cook wear, some some of our foods,
possibly fish, our dental flows, and even our shampoo and
some of our cleaning.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Products dental flows. So we're putting that in our mouth.
Is that something we should be concerned about?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, the amount of PE files that is actually in
the dental floss is probably not enough for us to
worry about if it's only if we're only being exposed
to light the dental.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Flaws especial once a day or whatever.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Right, right, it's just accumulation and the combination of just
everything all the way around.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So Oregon d EQ released it's p FOSS Strategic Planet
has four parts Reduce, manage, research, and engage. How would
p FOSS be for what efforts would be done to
reduce p fos under the plan?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
The PREFIX Strategic Plan is first and foremost a dqide plan,
and the plan provides DQ programs with an overarching framework
for p FoST management and i'll work with the broader public.
The plan outlines a multimedia, comprehensive approach that tackles p
FOS contaminations from multiple angles, so the first being source reduction.
(04:30):
So DQ is working to decrease p FIS entering into
the environment by leveraging and building on our existing state
and federal actions to reduce the presence of PFIs in consumer, industrial,
and commercial products and encourage consumer support of p FoST
free products. And we're also expanding and promoting technical information,
(04:54):
educational materials, and our community outreach, and that's I can angle.
Our focus is managing releases and emissions of p files
to the environment in the first place. So DQ is
totally committed to identifying and addressing areas already impacted by
p files, because that's just one of those things that
(05:17):
happened with its use over all that time. So we
can limit future p files introductions and releases and an
emissions by leveraging DQ's regulatory authority that we already have,
by managing and mitigating existing p FIST contamination in the environment,
(05:37):
and to ensure a safe and proper management of p
files contaminated waste, and this is so critical to sake
or both our human health and our environmental resources. Our
third angle or focus is to build a robust science
and solid scientific foundation, and we'll do that by doing
(05:59):
research in gathering scientific data on p FIS to aid
in our decision making. So d Q has already increased
its laboratory analytical methods to detect, quantify, and evaluate PVASS
in the AirLand and the water and also in the wildlife.
These methods are essential for identifying which p FIS compounds
(06:22):
are present, how much of it is there, and where
they come from and where are their original sources. And
this is a great feat because our lab now serves
as the principal state lab for drinking water analysis for
PFASs detection. Because our lab at DQ, you can detect
(06:44):
p FIS at APA's recommended MCLs. So another way we're
accomplishing this goal is by developing and maintaining our monitoring
activities across the environmental media in organ to assess the
risk to the public health and to our environment. And
(07:06):
it allows us to gauge the risks, identify the contamination sites,
and evaluate the effectiveness of what we're doing and what
we're working on our mitigation efforts.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
And.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Will also be systematically collecting, curating, and making accessible the
data of p files occurrence, it's distribution around the state
and the trends of p files within organ and that
is extremely important because it supports evidence based policy decisions
(07:41):
that we make. It's important for community awareness, and it
allows for tracking our progress and identifying areas needing further attention.
So our final angle or focus is engaging and collaborating
with our internal and external parties, and these include parties
(08:02):
such as the EPA, Oregon Health Authorities, the Tribes and
Oregon nonprofit organizations, and local community organizations as well. And
we do that to support ongoing research and development of
novel and innovative solutions for p files. It's detection, how
(08:27):
we remediate it, and how we communicate the risks. So
we are presently building strong internal coordination within our own
DQ programs and more collaborations with external parties in order
to pool our resources, our expertise, and the data. And
(08:47):
this is going to enhance our efficiency and ensure that
all aspects of peace files contamination are addressed comprehensively and
over time you're going to routinely evaluate in the mini
this PFOLE strategic plan. The reason for that is we
want to incorporate the latest scientific data, the legislative changes,
(09:09):
regulatory development, and feedback from the impacted populations. And because
the technology is increasing so fast, we want to make
sure that we are staying ahead of the game and
with the game.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Latania, sure is a comprehensive plan. Anything else that you
want listeners to know, either about p fos or the
state's response, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Well, for the state, our goal at the Q simple
when it comes to p files, and that is to
keep organ's environments in our families safe. And we are
doing everything that we can and we are tackling p
FOSS from every angle, so we are not just sitting
around waiting to be reactive. Orgon DQ is being very
(09:57):
proactive and when it comes to FI, just as we
have been with other contaminives of concern.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Latania, thanks for joining us on local voices. That's Latania
Jackson with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality explaining the
DEEQS p FOSS strategic plan to tackle forever chemicals and
protect public health. Oregon is making progress reducing childcare deserts
by increasing the number of child care facilities. Meghan Pratt
(10:27):
is an Associate Professor of Practice in the OSU College
of Health and the Extension Family and Care Health Program,
and she studied childcare access in Oregon. Meghan, what are
childcare deserts?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, so a childcare desert has been used as a
metric to say, it's simply how many slots or spaces
are available in licensed childcare settings across the state and
comparing that to the population of children of different ages,
(11:02):
so that ratio is used. And then whenever there is
a community where there's more than three children for every
one of those slots, it it can be labeled as
a as a childcare desert, meaning that there's a significant
inadequacy of supply available in that region.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Right, it's really difficult to get childcare in those areas.
The report looks at childcare that was available last year
in Oregon. What did the report find?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, so the report found some promising estimates. So it
really found that really when you look at simply the
supply side that the state across all the counties has increased,
So there has been an increase in supply and that
has translated to a decrease in the number of those
(12:00):
counties that are childcare desert. So it's moved a number
of additional counties out of that childcare desert status for
preschool aged children. So that's really about the three to
five year olds is where we're seeing that movement out
of desert status.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
What is Oregon doing to increase childcare the amount of
childcare in the state.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
This report does a nice job of It shows that
there is a lot going on that is moving the
needle in terms of increasing the childcare supply that's available.
There's state level efforts, there is a federal funding that
has been used, especially after COVID and relief funding that's
(12:51):
been invested into the childcare system. And there's a lot
going on at the local level and in partnership with business.
Is that is all contributing to this improved story that
we're able to tell.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Is there a difference in childcare that's available in urban
areas compared to rural areas.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yes, And when we've dug into each county and even
within each county Oregon, all childcare is very very local
and shaped by the resources available, shaped by the types
of jobs that people need, and so that shapes what
kind of care in the hours they operate. But in general,
(13:37):
and we look across the state, there is more childcare available,
generally in more populated parts of the state than in
our more rural regions. We also find that publicly funded childcare,
so in early education, so head Start, Preschool Promise OPK,
or Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten, those types of programs play
(14:02):
a much larger role in making up the overall supply,
so there's fewer slots, so there's fewer spaces available, but
they the public those publicly funded programs make up over
half in a lot of our rural counties of what's available.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Was there an increase in small in home daycare.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yes, there was for the first time in a very
long time, well very long probably since twenty fourteen, maybe earlier.
So there's been a long decline over time with family
childcare and especially small home which is typically one person,
often a woman, who is caring for a relatively small
(14:49):
group of children. And so we're really excited to see
I think it's a little little under one thousand additional
slot have been added in that in that care type,
which is I know many regions have been focusing on
on doing on bringing this type of care back. It
(15:11):
often meets the needs of families for whom other more
centers or even larger homes are not are not the
right fit. And they're also very popular with infants and
toddlers where people want a more family type environment.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I think it's the high cost of childcare that caused
the childcare deserts to form in Oregon.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
It's a very significant driver of of of care, and
the financing aspects of the childcare system are are huge,
and it's both. It's it's this challenging piece of parents
are the primary funder of childcare, and in our state,
(16:04):
most of what comes through revenue wise for the childcare
system is paid for by parents, and they're facing high tuitions,
so they and fees, they are facing high prices. At
the same time, the providers who and the the programs
that are serving them are are operating on very slim
(16:24):
margins and so it's a real difficult business to to
keep afloat, especially when reliant on what parents can afford.
So it's kind of this it's this complicated dynamic of
both high prices for parents that make it hard for
them to access and then providers doing their best to
(16:47):
keep prices at a reasonable level for parents, but needing
to pay their people will in order to recruit and
retain a workforce that is happy to come to work
and and stays in the field.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
And you want to have good qualified employees taking care
of your kids when you know you take a kid
into day care. Yeah, is there a concern about federal
funding that might impact day careen Oregon?
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yes, I would say there is a there there is concern.
So putting this report out, we've been really we were
we were cautiously optimistic. We're we're excited to say, yes,
there's we're seeing supply increase. This is signal that that
is happening. But we also know it's a very precarious
(17:37):
system that uh and we know that even the loss
and you can see it in some of our counties,
even the loss of a few programs can lead can
have a cascading effect on on a community in a
in a negative way. So there is a lot of
attention to what happens next and in terms of investments
(18:00):
at the local, state, and federal level, and can we
sustain and hopefully continue to improve having a wide variety
of options available for families.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Yeah, and something to keep an eye on as we
learn more about the federal cuts. How would you sum
up the findings of the report.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
We'd sum it up as saying that there's across the
different for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, we've seen in the
last two years an increase in supply and that's very
heartening and a good signal that the work being done
by policymakers, by practitioners is working. At the same time,
(18:44):
we still know even though we've increased in supply our
zero to two year old age group you probably saw
at all but two counties are still considered childcare deserts.
So even though there's been some really nice growth in
the supply for the stage group, there's still a lot
more need. It's a promising story with I need to
(19:07):
dig in more to the details. It raises more questions
than answers.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And more work to do. It sounds like to I hope, so, Megan,
thanks for joining us on Local Voices. That's Megan Pratton,
Associate Professor of Practice in the OSU College of Health
and the Extension Family and Community Health Program, discussing her
research on Childcare and Oregon and a reduction in childcare deserts.
(19:34):
Construction continues at Portland International Airport. It's been a years
since the main terminal rosary modeled. Vince Gronado, the PDX
next Chief project's officer, joins us on Local Voices for
an update. Vince, where are we at in the project
right now?
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Right?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
So, we are working on Phase two, which is on
the north and the south ends, which is where everybody
used to go through the security checkpoints and so we
had to go back can demolish all of those spaces
and we're rebuilding those areas and so we're on schedule.
We'll open those up next spring. We're still working through
(20:11):
the exact dates on when we'll do that and what
you're going to.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Get back there.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Is the best part of it is we're going to
shorten the walk and we've heard that certainly from everybody
that that's the walk through the bypasses and getting around
the construction is longer than what they're used to, and
so those will go away.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Coming next spring.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
So we're excited about that, but there'll be more concessions.
We'll also have the new exits and so you'll have
the automated exit doors like we used to have where
you'll go straight out and then eventually you'll be able
to go straight down into the baggage claim area, and
so we're working on that as well. So it's going well.
(20:56):
We just at this point we just need to execute
and finish up the last bit of work.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
And looking back at the last year for the new terminal,
you know, what, what have you heard from people who
have gone through it and looked at it and you know,
seen the trees and the you know, the locally sourced
wood in the in the ceiling.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
You know, it's it's been phenomenal.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
It's surprising that we're already at a year and I
still hear from people. In fact, I was walking through
the building this morning and you still be still see
people taking selfies looking around and acknowledging just how beautiful
it is. And so we've gotten nothing but fantastic responses
(21:40):
from everybody that they just love the openness of it,
the feel of it, the wood obviously, the trees, and
just how it makes everybody feel. And you just still
see a lot of smiling faces as everybody goes through it.
And you know, from a project standpoint too, the building works,
The design was terrific, and it's pretty easy to navigate,
(22:02):
and we had that before and we wanted to make
sure that we kept that moving forward. And so just
all those things that we had that everybody loved about
the airport we feel like are still there. It's just
bigger and brighter, and again, just that local connection that
we made with the community. I think it is just
something that everybody has really appreciated.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
It looks like you've gotten a lot of national recognition
awards from a variety of the Washington Post and Travel
and Leisure. I mean, that's got to be reassuring for
all the work that you've put into it.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
It has and it's really rewarding, I would say, because
for many years we were number one or number two
in travel and leisure for many many years in a row,
and we knew we would probably end up taking a
dip when you're going through the construction.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
But to have the Washington Post come out and give
us the number.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
One airport and travel and leisure and believe we were
number two, and so certainly that recognition is great.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
There's been some international recognition.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
As well on the design and the architecture, so we've
appreciated that and those are rewarding absolutely. But I think
for us, the fact that the local community I think
remains in love with the airport, and that is a
unique thing here in Portland, that everybody loves the airport.
And I think the fact that we were able to
(23:25):
take what we had, make it bigger, make it better, that,
I think is what we take the most satisfaction.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
From PDX is accepting applications for two new pop up
retail spots.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Yes, so out in front there are two shops out there,
Rox Leather and Missionary Chocolates, and it can be expensive
to set up a shop at the airport, but in
these particular shops, the port built those out and opened
our request for proposal process and Missionary and ros Leather
(24:00):
won the right to do that for the first eighteen
months and their time is coming to the end. And
so we're going to give some other folks, ideally some
small businesses, the opportunity to come in and.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
See what it's like to work at the airport. The
airport's a.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Complicated environment, understanding traffic flows and seasonality, and it can
be a little overwhelming for small business and so this
is a great way to kind of stick your toe
in the water, so to speak, and learn what it's
like to be at the airport, and then maybe at
some point some of these small businesses can grow up
and get into a more permanent location further down the road.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And I see there's some changes in the pre security
Art gallery coming.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Yes, there are, so we are continuing to add more
spaces in there and new exhibits. There'll be a lot
more art that you're going to see as part of
the second phase of the project as well.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
So you know, much of the.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Art that's been there I think has been very well received,
but we continually change that out to keep the opportunities
fresh and connect with our local artists and get more
people an opportunities. So you'll see a lot more of that,
especially once we get the second phase open.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Terrific, Vince, anything else you want to add that I
didn't ask you about.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
There's a lot of pride in the folks that are
building this project, and it helps keep everybody motivated when
they get the reactions and as they tell their friends
and their family what they're working on, and you get
such a great positive reaction.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
We've been at it for a.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
Long time, and we know airports have construction and I
think that just the pride of the people who've worked
on this project, It just it helps motivate everybody to
make sure we just get it all.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Done and finish strong. So we're really looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Vince, thanks for joining us on local voices. That's Vince Granado,
the PDX next Chief Projects Officer for Portland International Airport
and an update now on the construction project to remodel
the terminals. New technology in vehicles makes them safer, but
it doesn't always work. Triple A recently conducted a study
(26:08):
on technology to help drivers in traffic jams. Triple A's
Marie Dons explains what it is.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
Advanced vehicle technology is becoming more and more common on
new vehicles, but these systems don't work well in all
driving scenarios. The latest testing by Triple A Automotive engineers
evaluated low speed capable active driving assistance systems, also known
as traffic jam assistants. These systems control the vehicle speed,
maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front,
(26:36):
and keep the vehicle centered in the lane in low speed,
congested traffic.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Triple A researchers put some of those vehicles to the
test to see how well the technology works.
Speaker 6 (26:45):
Our Triple A testing shows that these systems had trouble
every nine minutes on average in heavy traffic. Testing by
our Triple A Automotive engineers shows that these technologies can
help in certain driving situations, but they never replace an
engaged driver. While traffic jam assistance is designed to work
in congested traffic, these systems can have trouble every nine minutes,
(27:08):
which means that drivers need to always stay alert and
be ready to take over control of the vehicle. In total,
notable events were recorded every three point two miles, which
is about every nine minutes on average. A notable event
is defined as any situation in which the system failed
to handle the driving conditions adequately, as determined by the
researcher driving the vehicle.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
There are several incidents that occurred during most of the testing.
Speaker 6 (27:32):
The most common incidents reported were inadequate responses to cut ins,
which required a researcher to intervene ninety percent of the time.
Cut Ins are defined as instances when a vehicle enters
the lane directly in front of the test vehicle. The
second most frequent issue was inadequate lane centering assistance. Lane
centering is a driver assistance system that uses cameras and
(27:54):
other sensors to keep the vehicle centered within its lane,
providing steering assistance to prevent.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
What was involved.
Speaker 6 (28:01):
In doing the research, Triple A used five new vehicles
from the twenty twenty four model year for this testing.
Each test vehicle was outfitted with equipment that was used
to continuously record data during testing. Each vehicle was driven
an average of three hundred and forty two miles over
a period of more than sixteen hours with GPS data, video,
(28:21):
and audio continuously recorded to capture traffic conditions, vehicle behavior,
and driver observations. Triple A is sharing this research with
industry leaders and automakers. Collaboration is key to enhance testing
and to expand consumer education about how these advanced driver
assistance technologies work as they become more widely available.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
As Triple A's Marie dodds with details on their research
into traffic jam assistance technology in vehicles. Thanks for listening
to Local Voices, I'm brad Board. You can hear past
episodes on the iHeartRadio app under the podcast tab Local
Voices is a public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio.
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