Monsanto Company has agreed to pay Oregon $698 million to compensate for decades of contamination with chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. The settlement comes after years of work by the state Department of Justice and other state agencies, including DEQ.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
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”
Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act
Increased Investments in Affordable, Resilient and Sustainable Clean Water Infrastructure Prior to the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, pollution control and regulation to safeguard waterways and watersheds were minimal. Untreated sewage, trash, chemicals, oil, industrial pollution and other pollutants were entering waterways without consideration of the environmental and public health consequences. TheContinue reading “Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act”
Waterside Moments
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we asked staff in DEQ’s water quality programs to share images they captured while working, playing or relaxing around water. These images highlight some of Oregon’s extraordinary water resources and the importance of protecting them.
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.
DEQ’s Elaine Blatt wins AOR award for food waste prevention campaign
Elaine Blatt and the Bad Apple Campaign Project Team received an Oregon Sustainability Award at the 2022 Association of Oregon Recyclers Conference this October. To be nominated for this prestigious recognition, individuals or teams must demonstrate a significant or outstanding accomplishment in recycling, waste prevention, reuse, or other sustainable materials management initiatives. Elaine and herContinue reading “DEQ’s Elaine Blatt wins AOR award for food waste prevention campaign”
DEQ receives “big check” to invest in P2 projects and programs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $350,000 to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to support pollution prevention. EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer announced what’s known as “P2” funding this week at an event in Portland, Oregon following a tour of Green Drop Garage, an EcoBiz certified automotive repair shop.
Oregon DEQ, Washington Ecology collaborate on clean fuels
A contingent from Washington Department of Ecology joined DEQ’s Clean Fuels Program staff for two days of meetings aimed at learning how the program works and how industry uses cleaner transportation fuels. The visit included time with Oregon’s two largest electric utilities Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp, and a tour of Daimler Truck North America’s “Electric Island” in north Portland.
Congratulations to DEQ’s 2022 graduates of ASCENT Transformational Leadership Program
One thing that hasn’t changed at DEQ is the belief that our strength is our people. That strength is reflected in these three inspiring graduates of the 2022 ASCENT Transformational Leadership Program. Congratulations Ximena Cruz Cuevas, Northwest Region cleanup program coordinator (left), Brian Stafki, Materials Management natural resource specialist (middle) and Laura Gleim, Eastern RegionContinue reading “Congratulations to DEQ’s 2022 graduates of ASCENT Transformational Leadership Program“
The Source
As National Source Water Protection Week comes to a close, the Drinking Water Protection staff at DEQ hopes more folks are aware of what we mean by the phrase source water protection. It is the core of our work, but it might not mean much to those outside our agency. As with many fields, the internal lingo often can be mysterious. In this case it’s not complicated. The place where one’s drinking water originates is its source area.