The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s governing body, the Environmental Quality Commission, adopted six different sets of rules at their November meeting last Thursday and Friday. Why do rules matter? Rules determine how DEQ regulates. When the legislature passes laws, they’re often very general. The agency responsible for implementing the law has to write theContinue reading “Closing out the year with new rules”
Category Archives: Land quality
Kmart Fire Asbestos Response – NE Portland
Updates on NE Portland Kmart fire response.
Oregon’s first major railroad oil spill training a success
More than 150 people from federal, state, tribal, and local governments and BNSF Railroad convened at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center in The Dalles on June 13 to practice responding to a large-scale railroad oil spill. In the imaginary scenario, 23 tank cars carrying 540,000 gallons of crude oil derail along the Deschutes River nearContinue reading “Oregon’s first major railroad oil spill training a success”
Tanker spill cleanup and roadway repair along Highway 38 near Drain
Updates on emergency response.
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”
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”
Oregon DEQ launches new Lab web page
Harris Beach State Park Beach Monitoring Program, Shane Bennett, 2021 Did you ever want to learn more about the part of DEQ collecting the data that produces the Air Quality Index or analyzing drinking water samples for Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms? Well, head on over to our new web page and meet the Laboratory andContinue reading “Oregon DEQ launches new Lab web page”
Congratulations to the EPA Brownfield Grant recipients in Oregon
After going through an incredibly competitive grant process, eight of the nine Oregon applicants prevailed and will receive $4.4 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfield grants and loans program. These grants will support these applicants in doing environmental assessments, sampling and cleanup of brownfields in their communities.
DEQ community outreach and soil sampling event in Cathedral Park a success
Updates on emergency response.
Personal Essay: Integrating Regional Solutions to DEQ’s Mission
Earth Day 2022 has come and gone, but I still think about the iconic “Earth Rise” image. Because I am a geographer, I recognize the collective and sweeping focus and perspective on air, land and water all Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s employees share in our common mission. For me and my own niche, it is such a privilege to work alongside dedicated DEQ professionals, and through the variety of ways the Regional Solutions program compliments and extends our work.