DEQ Laboratory Monitors the Health of Oregon's Environment

Environmental Challenge

There are many sources of water, air and land pollution in Oregon. DEQ needs to know the exact levels of pollution to determine potential threats to human and environmental health, as well as the sources of pollution to create strategies to reduce it.

Success Story

DEQ's Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division provides the foundation for restoring, maintaining and enhancing Oregon's environmental quality. DEQ scientists maintain monitoring networks for air, water and land, and analyze data to determine sources of pollution, the impact of pollution on human and environmental health and whether environmental standards are met.

With the information they gather through special studies, the biologists, chemists and computer scientists determine how serious problems are, discover and evaluate trends in water, land and air quality, and make recommendations to DEQ policy makers.

In 2008, DEQ's laboratory moved into a new 86,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Hillsboro shared with Oregon’s Public Health Laboratory.

The new state-of-the-art laboratory in Hillsboro performs thousands of tests on air, water and fish samples, including tests for toxics such as mercury, pesticides and flame retardants. Laboratory staff:

• monitor 52,000 miles of streams and rivers, 19 coastal beaches and a number of lakes
• collect over 20,000 samples annually
• perform some 300,000 analyses annually

The 85 staff members who work at DEQ's laboratory perform their work with passion and an eye toward the future.

Perhaps DEQ Lab Manager Greg Pettit put it best when he said, "Our staff really believe in the mission, and it's that enthusiasm for the work they do that allows them to do great things."