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”
Tag Archives: Environmental Justice
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”
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”
Oregon’s CAAP initiative, a new approach to community air monitoring
Community Air Action Planning, or CAAP, is a new pilot program led by DEQ’s Air Quality Division. This pilot program takes a place-based approach to improving communities’ air quality knowledge and capacity for collective action. DEQ worked with a steering committee of advocates, community-based organizations, and state and local government representatives to design the program’s framework.
DEQ revamps Supplemental Environmental Project policy
For years, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has offered pollution violators the option to pay for environmentally friendly projects to partially offset assessed fines. Now the department is working to ensure communities have a role in deciding what projects these fines will fund.
DEQ’s Ximena Cruz Cuevas takes environmental justice to a new level
Ximena Cruz Cuevas Oregon DEQ’s own Ximena Cruz Cuevas was recently appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 National Environmental Justice Advisory Council. She is the only member from the State of Oregon representing both State and Local government, on the 26-member council that includes representatives from a wide range of backgrounds, sectors, and experiences inContinue reading “DEQ’s Ximena Cruz Cuevas takes environmental justice to a new level”
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 “
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”