Photo (left to right): Sanne Stienstra, Joan Grimm (former DEQ staffer), Rita Haberman, Amanda Ingmire, Anne Gire (Oregon Building Codes Division) Rita Haberman, a Built Environment Specialist in the Materials Management Program, was recently awarded the Women of Vision Award from the Daily Journal of Commerce. The Women of Vision award recognizes women in the regionContinue reading “Built Environment Specialist, Rita Haberman, receives Women of Vision award”
Tag Archives: community engagement
Carbon and Culture: Indigenous land stewardship and carbon management
This fall, DEQ staff joined over 70 others in a multi-day Carbon and Culture Symposium, hosted by the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) First Foods Policy Program. After two years in the making, their idea of a gathering focused on Indigenous land stewardship and carbon management came to fruition in the beautiful settingContinue reading “Carbon and Culture: Indigenous land stewardship and carbon management”
OMSI ScienceFest 2025: Community Engagement and Learning
On the weekend of Sept. 13th and 14th, 11 DEQ staff members joined organizations from across the city and state at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to celebrate ScienceFest, OMSI’s annual celebration of scientists, engineers and innovators who are inspiring future generations. DEQ was one of dozens of vendors, ranging from assistive livingContinue reading “OMSI ScienceFest 2025: Community Engagement and Learning”
OASIS interns showcased real-world pollution prevention solutions for local businesses
Key Takeaways from the OASIS 2025 Summer Symposium The Oregon Applied Sustainability Internship (OASIS) program held its highly anticipated Summer Symposium recently, where eight talented interns delivered presentations showcasing their projects aimed at enhancing sustainability for Oregon businesses. You can hear directly from the interns in this 2025 OASIS program video. With funding from theContinue reading “OASIS interns showcased real-world pollution prevention solutions for local businesses”
DEQ is Celebrating 15 Years of Paint Stewardship in Oregon
2025 marks a significant milestone for paint product stewardship in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Paint Stewardship Program are celebrating 15 years of operation. The stewardship organization, PaintCare, has successfully collected 10 million gallons of leftover paint in Oregon. This achievement is important because leftover paint makes up the largest volume ofContinue reading “DEQ is Celebrating 15 Years of Paint Stewardship in Oregon “
Empowering Communities: Highlights from the National Climate Planning Summit in Portland
Photo caption: Climate planners board the electric school bus that was generously offered as transport from Beaverton School District. Climate planners came together in Portland this July to continue learning from one another, building momentum for collaboration, and charting paths forward for this work even in uncertain times. Oregon did not disappoint. The gathering beganContinue reading “Empowering Communities: Highlights from the National Climate Planning Summit in Portland “
Meet Oregon DEQ’s Public Service Champions
On May 9, DEQ Director Leah Feldon, celebrated Public Service Recognition Week nominees during the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission meeting in Bend, Oregon. This year, DEQ selected three Public Service Ambassadors: Amanda Ingmire, Kara Master and Erica Timm out of a total of eight nominees.
How the AQI Helps Oregonians Stay Safe
Last week we celebrated National Air Quality Awareness Week. Today, the air in Oregon is “good,” according to the air quality index. That wasn’t always the case. Even outside of wildfire season, there have been times throughout Oregon’s history when the air was hazardous to breathe. In fact, in 1980, only 30% of Oregonians livedContinue reading “How the AQI Helps Oregonians Stay Safe”
Oregon DEQ Announces New Food Systems Strategic Plan
The newly adopted Reducing Food Impacts: A Strategic Plan for Oregon (2025) establishes an updated vision for Oregon’s Materials Management Program. The plan emphasizes a whole-systems, equity-centered approach to food. This plan outlines the three key priority areas for DEQ’s future work in food systems: Sustainable Food Production, Sustainable Food Consumption and Sustainable Food Waste Management.Continue reading “Oregon DEQ Announces New Food Systems Strategic Plan”
Meet Yulia Shipulina: Championing Pollution Prevention at DEQ
Yulia Shipulina has joined the Department of Environmental Quality as a temporary fellow, in partnership with Oregon Sea Grant, to further develop our pollution prevention, or P2, projects in DEQ’s Land Quality Division. The P2 projects she’ll work on are funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and managed by Lisa Cox, our Senior ToxicsContinue reading “Meet Yulia Shipulina: Championing Pollution Prevention at DEQ”