May is Wildfire Awareness Month, so we thought it a good idea to discuss air quality monitoring across Oregon, particularly during the summer season. The Air Quality Index, air quality advisories and the Oregon Smoke Information blog are all great resources for people looking to understand what kind of air they’re breathing, especially if they’reContinue reading “Air Quality Monitoring During Wildfire Season”
Category Archives: GreenState Podcast
Food Waste Prevention Week
Spoiler alert: Food waste is the second leading cause of greenhouse gases, which are a key ingredient in climate change. But there’s something you can do about it in your home, starting at your next meal – food waste prevention. Katie, a DEQ communication and outreach specialist, joins Dylan on this episode to learn aboutContinue reading “Food Waste Prevention Week”
Public records — How it Works at DEQ
DEQ is a science-based state agency, so it generates volumes of public records. A team of two, with the support of 40 staff members, work together to guide our public record storage and response to requests. Along with discussing how and why DEQ stores records, the experts offer advice on how to best find whatContinue reading “Public records — How it Works at DEQ”
Staff Spotlight on Emil Hnidey, DEQ’s Rulemaking Coordinator
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 “
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”