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Tear Gas at Portland Protests Raises Concern About Pollution

Associated Press

   The presence of U.S. agents has diminished in Portland, Oregon, but
   city officials are still cleaning up tear gas residue from the streets,
   dirt and possibly the storm drains after the chemical was used
   frequently by both police and federal officers during more than two
   months of often-violent protests over racial injustice.

   The Portland Bureau of Environmental Services cleaned and took samples
   from six storm drains last week around the federal courthouse and a
   building with a police station and jail that have been targeted in
   nightly demonstrations.

   Environmental officials aimed to prevent pollutants from reaching the
   Willamette River, which runs through downtown and is popular with
   kayakers, canoeists and boaters, and determine the possible impact if
   contaminants did flow into the waterway.

   "There is no American city, that I am aware of, that has endured the
   level of tear gas," agency spokeswoman Diane Dulken said. "We are
   researching and looking through environmental literature. What are
   these materials and their toxicity?"

   Officials said they're testing for pollutants that are found in crowd
   control agents such as the heavy metals zinc, lead, copper and
   chromium.

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