There are opportunities to win an Amazon gift card once it’s completed The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Air Quality Division and the Center for Marketing and Consumer Insights at Oregon State University are asking for your help in better understanding how home heating emissions affect air quality. They have opened the 2024 Residential WoodContinue reading “Oregon DEQ and Oregon State University request your participation in residential wood heating survey”
Category Archives: Science
Photos: DEQ staff capture images of the spectacular Northern Lights
It’s a phenomenon that features amazing colored light displays that reminds us the world is beautiful and full of wonder. The Northern Lights, officially known in the Northern hemisphere as Aurora Borealis, are produced by millions of explosions of magnetic energy. In May 2024, the lights danced around the Pacific Northwest skies in dazzling hues.Continue reading “Photos: DEQ staff capture images of the spectacular Northern Lights”
GUEST POST: DEQ and Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District provide two programs for septic system repair in Clackamas County
Oregon’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund mission is to provide technical assistance and below-market rate loans for planning, design and construction projects that improve water quality and environmental outcomes. This program, managed by DEQ, helps protect public health, restore natural areas and promotes economic development statewide. Since the program began in 1988, communities all overContinue reading “GUEST POST: DEQ and Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District provide two programs for septic system repair in Clackamas County”
DEQ congratulates Leadership Oregon graduates, Angel Gillette and Zach Mandera
Photo: DEQ Director Leah Feldon, Angel Gillette, Zach Mandera and DEQ Lab Administrator, Lori Pillsbury celebrating graduation, Dec. 2023. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is proud of Angel Gillette and Zach Mandera for recently completing the Leadership Oregon program, the executive leadership development program for the State of Oregon. Leadership Oregon’s mission is to strengthenContinue reading “DEQ congratulates Leadership Oregon graduates, Angel Gillette and Zach Mandera “
Staff spotlight on Matt Davis
Matt and his family at Joshua Tree National Park For October, DEQ turns the spotlight on Matt Davis. Matt joined the agency in 2017 and served in several positions, including managing air quality teams in Headquarters and Northwest Region, and spending several years representing DEQ at the Oregon Legislature as a Senior Legislative and PolicyContinue reading “Staff spotlight on Matt Davis “
Taking Air Quality Science to the Classroom – and Beyond
DEQ Air Quality Monitoring Engagement Coordinator Hillarie Sales and Air Quality Coordinator Morgan Schafer have been working all year with a class of middle-schoolers at Sunny Wolf Charter School who have a great interest in science and learning more about air quality and hope to develop formal curriculum from this experience for other classrooms and the general public.
DEQ’s annual Earth Month photo contest
The votes are in. Our photo contest to celebrate Earth Month 2023 was a huge success. DEQers submitted a lot of great images as you’ll see in the slideshow above. The theme this year was “Investing in Planet Earth.” The images show the diversity of beauty in Oregon and why investment in our natural environmentContinue reading “DEQ’s annual Earth Month photo contest “
GUEST POST: Why do we encounter poor air quality in winter? LRAPA’s Travis Knudsen explains.
Oregon has some of the most beautiful and pristine skies in the United States. However, we can also experience poor air quality, and not just during wildfire season. In winter months, there are times when DEQ’s Air Quality Index indicates anything from “Moderate” to “Very Unhealthy” air, often due to stagnant air and inversions. Thankfully,Continue reading “GUEST POST: Why do we encounter poor air quality in winter? LRAPA’s Travis Knudsen explains.”
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”
Video – Where the Science Happens
At the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, we take our science seriously – nearly everything we do is backed by data and scientific analysis. Welcome to DEQ’s Lab, where the science happens. Learn more about DEQ’s Lab on our website. Video produced by Laura Gleim and Susan C. Mills. Narration by Blair Adams.