Environment
Oregon governor signs pact with West Coast leaders to transition region to 100% clean electricity
Three West Coast governors and a Canadian premier signed a pact to make the region the first on the continent to transition to 100% clean electricity and a low-carbon economy. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier John Horgan in San Francisco on Thursday morning […]
New bird flu strain threatens North American wildlife
The July 5 trip was routine: From the deck of an airboat, two wildlife biologists scanned the cattail marsh — one of many seasonal wetlands in the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge — on their weekly lookout for sick or dead birds. In the summer months, avian botulism is a major concern in California’s Central Valley, […]
Electric vehicle charging company appeals record fine from DEQ for fraud
A Lincoln City company that builds electric vehicle charging stations and allegedly defrauded the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality out of $2 million in carbon credits is appealing the ruling. On Friday, the agency fined Thompson Technical Services, or TTS Charging, of Lincoln City $2.7 million for falsely claiming credits through a state greenhouse emissions […]
Tribes ask US Supreme Court to hear case over destruction of sacred site near Mount Hood
Members of two Northwest tribes want the federal government to restore a sacred site near Mount Hood that was destroyed in a highway expansion project 14 years ago. After the case was dismissed by two lower courts, the tribes on Tuesday took it to the highest court in the country. Members of the Confederated Tribes […]
Environment commission asks for public opinion on regulating air emissions from large dairies
Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission is asking the public to help decide whether the state should regulate air pollution from large dairy operations. The request follows a petition filed in August by nearly two dozen environmental, farming and public health groups asking that the state do something to monitor emissions from dairies with 700 or more […]
U.S. Supreme Court mulls federal water rules, wetlands designations in Idaho case
The U.S. Supreme Court opened its term Monday with an Idaho case that could significantly restrict the federal government’s power to enforce clean water laws and prove crucial in determining wetland protections. The oral arguments came just months after the court’s 6-3 conservative majority limited executive authority to address climate change in a case involving […]
Oregon could join California and New York in ending sale of gas-powered cars by 2035
Oregon could soon join California and New York in banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 in an effort to cut emissions and curb the worst effects of global climate change. Under proposed rules from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, car manufacturers would need to increase the amount of zero-emission vehicles available […]
DEQ issues record fine to Lincoln City company that sold millions in fraudulent carbon credits
A Lincoln City company that builds electric vehicle charging stations defrauded the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality out of $2 million in carbon credits, according to the agency. On Friday, it fined Thompson Technical Services, or TTS Charging, $2.7 million for falsely claiming credits through a state greenhouse emissions reductions program and selling them to […]
DEQ fines Lamb Weston in Hermiston $127,000 for nitrogen pollution
A Lamb Weston plant in Hermiston allowed hundreds of tons of excess nitrogen to be spread on two farms, potentially adding pollution to an already critically contaminated aquifer, according to a penalty issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. On Tuesday, the agency fined the Idaho-based potato products manufacturer $127,800 for 90 violations of […]
Commission sets bigger targets for cutting emissions from Oregon fuel suppliers
Oregon fuel distributors will need to move quicker and take stronger action to cut greenhouse gas emissions under new targets approved by the state’s Environmental Quality Commission. The group of five, governor-appointed members voted Friday to change the timeline for the Clean Fuels Program and increase the emissions targets that fuel distributors in the state […]
State legislators approve nearly $6 million for water emergencies in rural Oregon
State lawmakers granted nearly $6 million to address well water issues in eastern and southern Oregon. The money was approved at a meeting of the state’s legislative Emergency Board on Friday. The board approves emergency expenditures and federal grant applications between legislative sessions. In northeast Oregon, Morrow and Umatilla counties will receive about $882,000 from […]
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality names interim leader after director resigns
Leah Feldon, deputy director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will lead the agency following the departure of former Director Richard Whitman this week. Feldon was named interim director at a Friday meeting of the Environmental Quality Commission by its five governor-appointed members. The commission oversees the environmental quality department. Feldon has worked at […]