Bullseye Glass is suspending its use of cadmium and arsenic for now, following concerns by state regulators over alarming concentrations of those substances in the air around the Southeast Portland facility. Co-owner Daniel Schwoerer emailed a short statement to the Mercury this morning:
“As of yesterday we have suspended the production of all cadmium and arsenic-bearing glasses until we better understand the information that you have brought forward.”
In a brief phone interview, Schwoerer reiterated something he said Monday: “I’m totally surprised by DEQ’s findings. We have worked with DEQ for 40 years and were never once told there were state benchmarks to meet. It’s all a major surprise.”
He declined to answer whether he still had faith in the air pollution control device commonly known as a “baghouse” that DEQ requires Bullseye Glass to deploy.
Asked in general about the by-products of making glass using cadmium and arsenic, Schwoerer said, “There shouldn’t be any by-products. The solution goes all into the glass. We’re not knowingly doing anything wrong.”
Schwoerer then ended the interview, saying that he had a room full of Bullseye employees waiting to hear from him. That he had to do “damage control.”
Update, 11:32 am: Bullseye released the following statement on Facebook earlier today.
MORE COVERAGE:
State Finds Alarmingly High Arsenic, Cadmium Levels Near Two SE Portland Schools
Portland Public Schools Is Ordering Air Tests Because of Arsenic, Cadmium Concerns: “We Need A Public Meeting”
But what about old lace?
Did they provide evidence or commit to an independent audit?
Thank you Bullseye Glass for stopping the use of these pollutionants, but does this mean you will stop indefinately? I hope so, because if not… It’s going to get ugly fast.
Suspending doesn’t equal eliminating. And how long is the suspension? An independent audit is definitely in order.
According to their most recent review by the DEQ: http://www.portlandcleanair.org/scans/26-3… on page 5, it is noted that they use selenium, chromium, and lead, as well as arsenic and cadmium.
Have they suspended using all toxic compounds as colorants?
Just because certain chemicals are detected as way over safe limits doesn’t mean the other toxic compounds are good. Maybe they’ll increase use of the other compounds to compensate? Maybe we missed looking for others? We need to know.
they’ve been making glass for 40 years, why shut them down now? If they’re doing anything toxic we would have known. Bullseye have done nothing wrong.
I find it hard to believe that glass chemists are that ignorant of their product. Or if they are that ignorant, they have no business dealing with those materials. They clearly took advantage of a flawed permit system until they were caught.
Exactly ZZ if you don’t know what is happening with your chemicals you shouldn’t get a hazmat permit! They knew that shit is coming out the exhaust and didn’t install filtration because it costs money and they don’t have to! Business is about money and that is what this place is not some hippy camp. They sent there accountant out to do the talking its clear what makes the decisions in that multimillion dollar complex.
As anyone with any knowledge of the glass process knows, there is a significant time lapse while the raw batch materials are being heated before they go into solution. The materials in question are fugitive well below the furnace temperature. This is what blows up the flue.
How many of you know anything at all about the process of making glass. You are just jumping on the bandwagon of what a horrible thing they are doing without even knowing what is being done. Bullseye is within the required limits for the glass processes they preform. They are the ones who suspended the use of these chemicals,they were not made to. Bullseye is a reputable company who is not trying to “get away” with something. Maybe you should become informed before you all hear the words arsenic and start your screaming
Bullseye owes the public an explanation of how and why they use these chemicals in a residential area. If they have good reason for it and are using them responsibly then they should have no problem providing a clear explanation.
I worked there for three years and brought this issue up in safety meetings after hearing of arsenic being detected in the furnaces for the tekta line. It was immediately disregarded and at one point one of the supervisors said we should all stop being pussys. Every so often they would post air quality reports conducted by OSHA I believe, and it was in a language only few knew how to read. I asked if they could educate us on how to read these reports so we could have a better understanding of our air quality. The supervisors responded with little to no effort to help us understand these reports. I worked with two guys that got poisoned and no longer work there. One of them had cadmium in his blood the other had sylicosis. One worked as a caster, the other in frit. I have not gotten my blood tested in fear of the worse. I tried to investigate on how Bullseye was getting away with not informing their employees of these hazards. Again I was met with resistance and even harassed by the supervisors. Funny thing is, the sales of these glasses are going to sky rocket and Bullseye will make a killing. No pun intended