Staff Spotlight: Megan Hendrickson 

This week we turn the DEQ staff spotlight on Megan Hendrickson. From our Eugene office, Megan works with organizations using funds to repair and replace septic systems in Oregon.  What is your favorite part of working at DEQ?  I started during the pandemic. The first three months were a blur of phone calls, Teams messages,Continue reading “Staff Spotlight: Megan Hendrickson “

Staff Spotlight: Ania Loyd

Family ski day at Mt. Hood Meadows To celebrate Earth Month this year we are turning the spotlight on several staff across the state. This week, we talked with Ania Loyd. Ania is an air quality permit writer and inspector, working from the Eastern Region office in The Dalles. What is your favorite part aboutContinue reading “Staff Spotlight: Ania Loyd”

Food Waste Prevention Week

Spoiler alert: Food waste is the second leading cause of greenhouse gases, which are a key ingredient in climate change. But there’s something you can do about it in your home, starting at your next meal – food waste prevention. Katie, a DEQ communication and outreach specialist, joins Dylan on this episode to learn aboutContinue reading “Food Waste Prevention Week”

Public records — How it Works at DEQ

DEQ is a science-based state agency, so it generates volumes of public records. A team of two, with the support of 40 staff members, work together to guide our public record storage and response to requests. Along with discussing how and why DEQ stores records, the experts offer advice on how to best find whatContinue reading “Public records — How it Works at DEQ”

DEQ’s Cory-Ann Wind inducted into Clean Cities Hall of Fame

We’re thrilled to announce Cory-Ann Wind, manager of Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, is the recipient of the 2023 Hall of Fame Award from the Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities Coalition, a coalition committed to reducing petroleum consumption in the transportation sector through education and outreach.

The award recognizes Wind’s leadership developing and implementing one of the nation’s only clean fuels programs. California has had a similar program for the last 12 years and Washington started a program this year. Wind has worked at DEQ for 29 years, the last 13 overseeing the Clean Fuels Program.

Staff Spotlight on Emil Hnidey, DEQ’s Rulemaking Coordinator 

Emil and his family at Faragut State Park in Athol, Idaho Emil has been a fixture at DEQ for a few years and helped a lot of our staff and programs through their rulemakings.   For our readers who might not have had the chance to work with you yet, what does the Rulemaking Coordinator do?  Continue reading “Staff Spotlight on Emil Hnidey, DEQ’s Rulemaking Coordinator “

Rulemaking: From laws to environmental regulation

Bills become laws and state legislators design some Oregon laws to protect the environment. Most people understand that process. But what about rules that put environmental protection into action? That’s where DEQ comes in through rulemaking. DEQ proposes rules that define how the public and industry interact with the environment in an effort to benefitContinue reading “Rulemaking: From laws to environmental regulation”

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.”