Emil and his family at Faragut State Park in Athol, Idaho Emil has been a fixture at DEQ for a few years and helped a lot of our staff and programs through their rulemakings. For our readers who might not have had the chance to work with you yet, what does the Rulemaking Coordinator do? Continue reading “Staff Spotlight on Emil Hnidey, DEQ’s Rulemaking Coordinator “
Category Archives: GreenState Podcast
Rulemaking: From laws to environmental regulation
Bills become laws and state legislators design some Oregon laws to protect the environment. Most people understand that process. But what about rules that put environmental protection into action? That’s where DEQ comes in through rulemaking. DEQ proposes rules that define how the public and industry interact with the environment in an effort to benefitContinue reading “Rulemaking: From laws to environmental regulation”
Food Waste Prevention For the Holidays
We waste a lot of food. To be exact, 2.2 pounds per person per week in Oregon But did you know that at the holidays, we waste almost 1 pound per person at a single holiday meal (estimated Thanksgiving food waste at ReFED 2022 – The Food Waste Solutions Summit)? All that wasted food costsContinue reading “Food Waste Prevention For the Holidays”
Preventing food waste while clearing out holiday leftovers
The holiday season may leave you with more food than you know what to do with, but don’t despair. Lauren and Dylan are here to help you prevent food waste while making all those leftovers disappear. Need more incentive to make food waste prevention not just a holiday tradition, but also a year-round habit? OnContinue reading “Preventing food waste while clearing out holiday leftovers”
Cleaning up mercury spills
Mercury is that strange element that looks like a liquid metal bead. Many adults played with it as children. Mercury was used in a bunch of household items – fluorescent bulbs, LCD screens, old appliances, batteries, thermometers and barometers – that are now at risk of spilling. Lauren and Dylan talk with U.S. Environmental ProtectionContinue reading “Cleaning up mercury spills”
Enforcement
Last month we asked DEQ staff: how do you ensure facilities follow environmental laws? We learned a lot about how complaints get processed, when DEQ goes out to inspect facilities and how that can lead to enforcement and fines. This month, we’re talking about that enforcement process. Lauren and Dylan talk with DEQ enforcement staff,Continue reading “Enforcement”
Complaints and Inspections
People often ask DEQ: how do you ensure facilities follow environmental laws? There are a lot of answers, but key parts are complaints, inspections and enforcement. This is the first of a two-part series that dives into the complaints and inspections process. Lauren talks with the manager of the complaints system, a complaints inspector andContinue reading “Complaints and Inspections”
Get to know your H2O
Of the many things important to people in Oregon, a major one is water. DEQ plays a major role in protecting water quality of lakes, rivers and streams to ensure they can support aquatic plants and animals. Lauren and Dylan talk to DEQ’s Water Quality Administrator about the state of Oregon’s water as well asContinue reading “Get to know your H2O”
Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (aka cyanoHABs)
Summer is here and we’ve already experienced some hot days in Oregon, and people seeking out local lakes and rivers to play in. While enjoying all of Oregon’s beautiful waterways, it’s important to watch out for cyanoHABs – large stretches of algae that contain harmful toxins. Lauren and Dylan talk to staff with DEQ andContinue reading “Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (aka cyanoHABs)”
Community Smoke Response Plans
Prescribed burning and wildfire can send smoke into communities around Oregon, which may impact public health. So, the Department of Environmental Quality has been working with communities around Oregon to develop community smoke response plans. Lauren and Dylan talk with people from Smokewise Ashland, a local collaborative working group ground in Southern Oregon, which hasContinue reading “Community Smoke Response Plans”