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Water contamination worsened as DEQ went easy on Port of Morrow
The state’s chief environmental agency knowingly let the Port of Morrow pollute year after year, contributing to drinking water contamination for thousands, an investigation by the Capital Chronicle showed. To protect jobs, the state Department of Environmental Quality addressed the industrial pollution with deals instead of enforcement. Agency officials accepted the port’s plans over the […]
Powerful port pollutes water for years with little state action
Guadalupe Martinez points to a 24-pack of bottled water by her kitchen sink with just a few bottles left, one of thousands she’s brought home over the last 18 years. “Ever since we’ve been living here, we’ve been buying water,” she said. The 54-year-old grandmother knows she can’t drink the water that comes out of […]
After millions spent on hotel purchases, shelter owners in Oregon face steep renovation costs
An Oregon project to turn hotels into temporary housing is getting a second infusion of cash after the first round added nearly 900 units, increasing the state’s supply of shelter beds by 20%. Project Turnkey, managed by the Oregon Community Foundation in Portland, was created by the Legislature in November 2020 in response to increased […]
Oregon would drop remaining limits on self-service fueling, leaving drivers with choice
Oregonians throughout the state would have the option to pump their own gas under provisions of House Bill 4151. The bill, introduced in the 2022 Oregon Legislature, isn’t expected to affect the price of gas and is meant to address labor shortages, with self-service allowing stations to open earlier and close later. Chief sponsors are […]