GreenState DEQ podcast GreenState DEQ podcast

The holiday season may leave you with more food than you know what to do with, but don’t despair. Lauren and Dylan are here to help you prevent food waste while making all those leftovers disappear. Elaine Blatt, DEQ senior policy and program analyst, and Katie Romano, DEQ communication and outreach specialist, offer expert advice about food waste prevention.

Lauren and Dylan talk with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon Health Authority staff involved in a recent mercury spill in Bend that resulted in damage to the home, cars, furniture and $100,000 in cleanup costs for the homeowners. They help us understand how to respond if mercury does spill in your home to minimize the impact, and then DEQ staff tell us how to safely dispose of any items we own that we know contain mercury.

Last month we asked DEQ staff: how do you ensure facilities follow environmental laws? We learned a lot about how complaints get processed, when DEQ goes out to inspect facilities and how that can lead to enforcement and fines. This month, we're talking about that enforcement process.

Lauren and Dylan talk with DEQ enforcement staff, EPA enforcement staff and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center to learn about DEQ enforcement actions. We discuss how DEQ figures out what amount to fine violators, how DEQ and EPA enforcement work together and the ways NEDC advocates for environmental issues through litigation.

People often ask DEQ: how do you ensure facilities follow environmental laws? There are a lot of answers, but key parts are complaints, inspections and enforcement. This is the first of a two-part series that dives into the complaints and inspections process.

Lauren talks with the manager of the complaints system, a complaints inspector and two facility inspectors about how they receive complaints, find the source of pollution complaints, keep tabs on facilities that DEQ regulates and what happens when there is a violation.

Of the many things important to people in Oregon, a major one is water. DEQ plays a major role in protecting water quality of lakes, rivers and streams to ensure they can support aquatic plants and animals.

Lauren and Dylan talk to DEQ's Water Quality Administrator about the state of Oregon's water as well as the staff working on improving it.

When out exploring waterways around Oregon you might encounter thick, colorful water – so thick and bright that it looks like green, blue or brown paint. These cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms, or cyanoHABs, can pose a public health risk. So Lauren and Dylan talk with water experts from the DEQ lab and Oregon Health Authority to learn more, including how to protect yourself.