Listen to this! @OregonDEQ launched a podcast called #GreenState, and the first 3 episodes are about the history of air quality in Oregon, #OregonFires2020, the forecast for smoke in coming years, and how to stay healthy during poor air quality.
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DEQ kicked off its podcast with a three-part series called Where There’s Smoke, which focuses on air quality and wildfire smoke. Something Oregonians have already experience much of this summer. The series covers the past, present and future of air quality. Hosts Lauren Wirtis and Dylan Darling talk with experts from DEQ, the U.S. Forest Service, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, and Oregon Health Authority.
Listen to the podcast on: SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Most important resources mentioned throughout this series:
- Oregon Smoke Blog
- OregonAir app (Apple / Android)
- Sign up for text or email notifications (select Air Pollution Advisories)
Part 1 – The Past
In the inaugural podcast episode, Lauren and Dylan talk with experts about the history of air quality in Oregon – what it was like, how DEQ monitoring began, and how regulations evolved over time.
SHOW NOTES
- Introduction
- Purpose of DEQ’s podcast [1:40]
- Overview of air quality work DEQ does now [2:30]
- Air quality monitoring in Oregon [5:30]
- What do we mean by air quality and how do we measure it [12:50]
- Woodstoves and field burning [14:10]
- Field burning [14:45]
- 21-vehicle pile up in 1988 due to field burning [17:10]
- Woodstoves [17:40]
- Particulate Matter (PM) 10 vs. PM2.5 [21:45]
- Public health and air quality [23:00]
- Teaser for Ep. 2 [29:40]
Part 2 – The Present
The second part of the Where There’s Smoke series is dedicated to the present – namely the September 2020 wildfires. What led to those wildfires, how bad was the air quality, what did it mean to also have COVID going on, and what resources are available to protect your air?
SHOW NOTES
- Introduction
- Background of forestry practices [3:40]
- Air quality advisories in Oregon [8:25]
- Air quality index [10:50]
- How air quality advisories work [13:05]
- Oregon Smoke Blog (where air quality advisories are posted)
- CAUTION: Talking more specifically about Sept 2020 wildfires
- September 2020 wildfire impact to the air monitoring network [17:25]
- Wildfires, smoke and COVID [20:20]
- What you can do [23:45]
Part 3 – The Future
The third and final part of the Where There’s Smoke series is dedicated to the future of air quality and wildfire smoke in Oregon. Air quality issues from wildfire smoke are not going away, but DEQ and its partner agencies are all hard at work determining ways to mitigate smoke and its health impacts, and provide more resources to Oregonians. In part 3, we focus on this work and what Oregonians can expect to see in the future.
SHOW NOTES
- Introduction
- Future of air quality in Oregon [1:30]
- What we’re doing to address air quality impacts from wildfire smoke [5:45]
- Research impact on health [7:20]
- Expanding the air monitor network [9:10]
- EPA’s Pacific Ecological Systems Division Laboratory [12:40]
- Oregon OSHA rule to protect workers from wildfire smoke [14:35]
- Wildfire Omnibus Bill (Senate Bill 762) [17:35]
- Resources for houseless communities [18:00]
- Developing community smoke response plans [19:05]
- Prescribed burning [22:00]
- Key take-aways [27:55]