Tigard, Oregon has Arsenic at the Public Library

Tigard, Oregon admits to having arsenic in the ground around the public library? This is a public library and we are just now finding this out?

Do we need to say it again: Tigard, Oregon sucks. This is ridiculous.

Part of Tigard library grounds tainted with traces of arsenic

Fenced off - It's not hard to avoid exposure to the old insecticides, a city official says

Friday, September 12, 2008

JOHN FOYSTON

The Oregonian Staff

A new fence closes off an area of the Tigard Public Library grounds found to be contaminated with traces of arsenic, probably from decades-old orchard insecticides and herbicides.

"We're certainly not downplaying this," said Dennis Koellermeier, Tigard Public Works director, "but it's difficult to explain just how low the Department of Environmental Quality has set the safety threshold.

"You'd have to eat contaminated dirt once a week for a full 52 weeks to exceed the acceptable risk level."

http://www.oregonlive.com/metrosouthwest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_southwest_news/1221182711271430.xml&coll=7

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Yeah Dennis, Tigard, Oregon is downplaying this. You just said this:

"You'd have to eat contaminated dirt once a week for a full 52 weeks to exceed the acceptable risk level."

That is downplaying arsenic in the ground around the public library in Tigard, Oregon. If you were not downplaying it you would have CLEANED IT UP BY NOW!

This is, Dennis, again downplaying the risk of arsenic around the public library in Tigard, Oregon:

"The good news here, if there is any," Koellermeier added, "is that it is relatively easy to avoid exposure. Don't eat, breathe or touch the contaminated soil."

Good god!

Is this the library that is rumored (or is it reported or is it actually) so poorly built that it is actually below the level of the ground and floods? Is that real or rumor?

God I hate Tigard, Oregon!

Every time you want to give this hell hole a break, things just get worse and worse and worse. Now there is noise pollution from the endless traffic (Tigard, Oregon is now just a traffic interchange for Beaverton/Tualatin/LO not a place to live) and now there is environmental pollution around the public library.

Tigard had old orchard ground in many places...does that mean they are all contaminated with arsenic that is not a 'big deal' according to the standards of those who are supposed to be dealing with this stuff?

We heard that this has been known for years, maybe from 2002? So what is making this come up now?

So, this is from Wikipedia: Arsenic poisoning

Arsenic poisoning kills by allosteric inhibition of essential metabolic enzymes, leading to death from multi-system organ failure. It primarily inhibits enzymes that require lipoic acid as a cofactor, such as pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. Because of this, substrates before the dehydrogenase steps accumulate, such as pyruvate (and lactate). It particularly affects the brain, causing neurological disturbances and death.