Air quality – AIR, LAND & WATER

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”

2022 Earth Month Photo Contest Winners

Our photography contest features more than 50 images created by DEQ staff who work daily to protect Oregon’s air, land and water. The contest drew entries of stunning images from around the state —whether a shot from their travels or a selfie with a beloved creature or critter. Browse this gallery to see the judges’Continue reading “2022 Earth Month Photo Contest Winners”

Congratulations Oregonians – Oregon’s 2050 Vision for Materials Management is 10 Years Young

We Oregonians are proud of the beautiful and diverse landscape of our state from the Pacific coast to mountains, rivers, waterfalls, desert, forests and farmland. Oregon also enjoys a “green halo” for our forward-looking outlook about the materials we make and consume to maintain our quality of life. But did you know that you liveContinue reading ” Congratulations Oregonians – Oregon’s 2050 Vision for Materials Management is 10 Years Young”

Aaron Borisenko in DEQ’s Lab nominated for public service award

DEQ’s own Aaron Borisenko has been nominated for a 2022 Public Service Recognition Week Award for his work as part of the interagency Wildfire Science Team. The team is up for the Interagency Excellence Team Award category, which honors cross-agency collaboration, stakeholder engagement and innovative approaches to intractable problems.

The three most important ways Oregon is fighting climate change

cent headlines warn that the window is quickly closing to protect our future and preserve a livable planet. In Oregon, we have seen the effects of the climate crisis first-hand: hundreds of deaths from extreme heat waves; thousands of homes destroyed by wildfire; lakes and rivers drying up before our eyes; farmers without water to grow food; and the toxic algal blooms that shut down the city of Salem’s drinking water system for weeks in 2018.

Three things you need to know about Oregon’s Clean Fuels program

Oregon’s Clean Fuels program is designed to gradually make transportation fuels cleaner, and it complements programs to make vehicles cleaner. Its success and progress are reflected in three distinct outcomes….

Johnson Oil in Clatskanie one step closer to redevelopment after latest DEQ cleanup project

DEQ is removing petroleum-contaminated soil at Johnson Oil, a former gas station and car dealership in Clatskanie that began operating in 1957. The soil-removal is the latest effort to clean up the site, which has a history of contamination dating back to the 1980s. Columbia County acquired the property through foreclosure in 2007.

DEQ and Oregon Sea Grant invite Oregon businesses to apply to host pollution prevention interns

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Sea Grant are excited to announce the opportunity for Oregon businesses to host a paid, 10-week, full-time sustainability intern for the summer through the Oregon Applied Sustainability Experience Internship program.

DEQ implements changes to Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has made big changes to the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program’s Charge Ahead Rebate. As of Jan. 1, 2022, low- and moderate-income households are eligible for $5,000 back with the purchase or lease of a new or used battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Previously, the Charge AheadContinue reading “DEQ implements changes to Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program”

Governor Brown Highlights DEQ’s Efforts to Tackle Food Waste at COP26 Summit

Earlier this week, Oregon Governor Kate Brown shared the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s work on a global stage when she served as a panelist on a session titled “Partnerships to Reduce Wasted Food on the American West Coast” at COP26, the 2021 United Nations climate change conference.