The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is removing petroleum-contaminated soil at Johnson Oil, a former gas station and car dealership in Clatskanie that began operating in 1957. The soil-removal is the latest effort to clean up the site, which has a history of contamination dating back to the 1980s. Columbia County acquired the property through foreclosure in 2007.
DEQ collaborated with the Clatskanie Cultural Center on a Story Map to provide a summary of site activities, current risk and future plans for Johnson Oil.
As of Jan. 1, 2022, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a new Climate Protection Program! The goals of the program are:
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels by 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050
to contain costs
to enhance public welfare for Oregon communities, particularly environmental justice communities, including, communities of color, tribal, low-income and rural communities.
Scientists agree these reductions are required to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
This is a voluntary, non-regulatory program that supports environmental workforce development, waste reduction, environmental protection and economic savings. This year, the program is especially interested in working with coastal businesses, B-Corps, the metal finishing industry, small businesses and the food and beverage sector.
Rebates for low- and moderate-income households increased as of Jan. 1, 2022.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has made big changes to the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program’s Charge Ahead Rebate. As of Jan. 1, 2022, low- and moderate-income households are eligible for $5,000 back with the purchase or lease of a new or used battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Previously, the Charge Ahead Rebate was $2,500. In addition, if the purchase or lease is a new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, then the rebate can be combined with the Standard Rebate for up to $7,500 back.
The Oregon Legislature agreed to the increase in May 2021. It also expanded the Charge Ahead Rebate to make low-income service providers eligible for money back.
New DEQ program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon by 90% by 2050
Statewide, OR — Today the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission voted 3-1 to establish the Climate Protection Program which sets enforceable and declining limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used throughout Oregon. The limits apply to diesel, gasoline, natural gas and propane, used in transportation, residential, commercial and industrial settings.
Along with other actions by the Oregon Legislature, this makes Oregon one of the few states in the nation with a comprehensive and clear pathway to reducing the emissions that cause global warming. As approved, the new rules put Oregon on track to reduce emissions from fossil fuels by 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050, reductions that scientists agree are required to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
@OregonDEQ is notified about 2,000 oil and hazardous material spills every year. That’s 5 per day. Listen to #GreenState #podcast to figure out how they do it.
What happens when oil and hazardous materials spill into the environment? DEQ springs into action to ensure it doesn’t impact public health or the environment. DEQ receives 1,500 reports of oil spills per year. Most of these incidents are small, but about 150 per year require a more in-depth response.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve air quality, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality today announced recipients of $8.1 million in funding for projects designed to reduce diesel emissions across the state and among vulnerable populations. Under the Diesel Emissions Mitigation Grant Program, 12 projects will help eliminate air contaminants affecting public health and climate by retrofitting or replacing older medium- and heavy-duty diesel equipment with new, cleaner alternatives.
“Diesel pollution is a hazard to public health, especially for our most vulnerable community members, and today’s action will permanently remove tons of toxic emissions from our air,” said Oregon State Representative Rob Nosse. “DEQ’s grant program provides valuable support for diesel equipment owners to replace their older, more polluting equipment. I am excited to see this support go out to these businesses.”
The selected projects will remove more than 200 tons of harmful air pollution, including nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter, from Oregon’s air. They range from installing diesel particulate filters in heavy-duty truck fleets based in the Portland Metro area to replacing diesel-powered street sweepers with new, zero emissions electric equipment in the Willamette Valley, to converting waste and freight hauling trucks to zero emissions electric transportation across the state.
“These grants represent our commitment to reducing diesel emissions and supporting the transition of Oregon’s medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets to zero emissions in the future.
DEQ Air Quality Division Administrator Ali Mirzakhalili.
Recipients and awards include:
Recipient: Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Group, Inc. Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: Four (4) Electric Equipment Replacements Grant Amount: $600,000
Recipient: Bedrock Concrete Cutting Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: Three (3) Electric Equipment Replacements Grant Amount: $201,475.51
Recipient: Cadman/Lehigh Hanson Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: Sixty-Three (63) Exhaust Control Retrofits Grant Amount: $1,216,972.89
Recipient: City of Newberg Primary Location: Newberg Project Upgrade Type: One (1) Electric Equipment Replacement Grant Amount: $293,066
Recipient: City of Portland Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: Eight (8) Electric Equipment Replacements Grant Amount: $2,660,234
Recipient: City of Roses Disposal & Recycling Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: One (1) Electric Equipment Replacement Grant Amount: $238,046.50
Recipient: DeVry Construction LLC Primary Location: Medford Project Upgrade Type: One (1) Diesel Equipment Replacement Grant Amount: $25,994.80
Recipient: DMH Inc. Primary Location: Forest Grove Project Upgrade Type: One (1) Exhaust Control Retrofit Grant Amount: $14,006.63
Recipient: Estes Express Lines Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: Thirteen (13) Diesel Equipment Replacements Grant Amount: $316,783.75
Recipient: Morgan Industrial, Inc. Primary Location: Hillsboro Project Upgrade Type: Sixteen (16) Diesel Equipment Replacements Grant Amount: $704,606.09
Recipient: TITAN Freight Systems Primary Location: Portland Project Upgrade Type: Six (6) Electric Equipment Replacements Grant Amount: $1,288,579.50
2021 Total Grant Amount: $8,111,015.67
“These grants represent our commitment to reducing diesel emissions and supporting the transition of Oregon’s medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets to zero emissions in the future,” said DEQ Air Quality Division Administrator Ali Mirzakhalili. “Combined with the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission’s recent decision to adopt the Advanced Clean Truck rules, we are leading the way to cleaner air in Oregon.”
DEQ’s Air Quality Program staff reviewed 71 grant applications, totaling more than $53 million in funding, and applied specific criteria from the Oregon Legislature and related administrative rules to evaluate proposed projects according to a point system. The 55 total points broke down as follows:
• Project summary and approach (5 points) • Project eligibility and type (15 points) • Project cost and air quality benefits (5 points) • Project location (10 points) • Applicant and fleet profile (20 points)
Project location criterion included a GIS evaluation against a vulnerable population map . The review considered how a proposed project would improve air quality in areas with the highest diesel emissions, most vulnerable populations and highest population densities.
Starting this month, DEQ will work with grant recipients to finalize project details and agreements. Funding will not be released until the process is complete. Project work should begin by mid-February 2022.
DEQ has approximately $40 million from the Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund established after Volkswagen was found to have cheated on emissions standards. The agency will award approximately $8 million in grants per year for five consecutive calendar years, beginning in 2021 and ending in 2025.
This month on GreenState, it’s time to talk about communications. Who’s on the comms team? What do they do? How is the comms team working to help you? That’s what we’re getting into this month — well, that and learning who at DEQ has biked from Boulder, Colorado, to Eugene.
As we commemorate Veterans Day, we appreciate how the many veterans and active-duty military working at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are continuing the call to service in their current jobs. DEQ is proud to have 48 military service members on staff. We honor them for their sacrifices and thank them for always saying “yes” when called upon to support our country and Oregonians.
