In This Issue
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 The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides federal dollars to help communities with
water quality, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs, projects
that reduce diesel emissions, and environmental cleanup projects such as
leaking underground gasoline storage tanks, brownfields (former industrial
and commercial sites) and “Superfund” sites.
During this volatile time, Oregon is focused on accelerating our state's
economic recovery by creating jobs and economic stability for communities
throughout the state. Governor Ted Kulongoski's approach leverages state and
federal dollars with private investment to deliver short-term stimulus and
long-term economic prosperity. The governor’s “Oregon
Way" advisory board, co-chaired by DEQ Director Dick Pedersen, will
help state agencies secure federal competitive grants by developing
innovative proposals embracing sustainability, renewable energy, carbon
reduction, energy efficiency and green development.
DEQ will administer an estimated $53 million or more in Recovery Act funding
for environmental projects in Oregon. For more information see our Web page
on Economic Stimulus Funding for
Environmental Priorities in Oregon.
 Oregonians can now
recycle TVs, computers or monitors for free at collection sites around the
state. Use our search tool to find the site nearest you at www.oregonecycles.org.
Call the collection site ahead of time if you have more than seven items to
bring, or if you have other electronic items to recycle. Not all sites accept
items other than TVs, computers and monitors, and those sites that do may
charge for taking other items.
DEQ oversees Oregon E-Cycles, which encourages responsible recycling.
Launched in January, the program collected over 1.5 million pounds of
electronic waste in its first month of operation. Rest assured that all
materials collected through the program are managed in a way that does not
harm public health or the environment, by adhering to DEQ standards.
 Earth Day, on April
22, is a time to appreciate how small steps add up to big gains when it comes
to protecting our environment. So why not pledge to do something new in your
life to help Planet Earth. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Practice chemical-free
lawn care
Did you know you can have a healthy lawn without using chemicals? Using
chemical fertilizers makes a lawn more susceptible to drought and disease,
and over time lawns can become chemically dependent. Find out more at our
website Healthy Lawns, Healthy Families.
Clean cleaner
Are you looking for less toxic ways to clean? DEQ has helpful hints for
substituting less harmful cleaners. And there are green options at the
store, too.
Travel leaner
Combine car trips to reduce total emissions. And for really lean travel,
walking is not only a green way to get someplace, it could even make you
leaner!
For lots of good ideas on sustainable living, see DEQ’s Web page, visit DEQ's
Web page, Make Every Day Earth Day! Or visit Earthday.gov.
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Welcome to DEQ's
eNewsletter
Keeping you informed
of the latest environmental news affecting Oregon residents is the goal of
Oregon Environment, a quarterly e-newsletter produced by the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
At DEQ, it’s our mission to be a leader in restoring, maintaining and
enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land and water. We look forward to
sharing news, tips and resources you can use to make a positive difference
for our environment.
DEQ at the Legislature
Improving Oregon’s
environment is the ongoing focus of DEQ’s legislative efforts. During this
session, DEQ is working on a host of bills and issues related to climate
change, air and water quality, product stewardship, as well as the Bottle
Bill.
DEQ is proposing further Bottle Bill updates based on the work of a statewide
task force. One version of the bill would expand the law to include sport
drinks, juice and similar non-carbonated drinks, wine and distilled liquors
and increase the bottle return to 10 cents per bottle beginning in 2013. All
these issues are currently under debate. You can view DEQ’s Bottle Bill Web page for more details on
these proposed changes. The page also includes many helpful tips for
consumers.
DEQ has also constructed a new Budget and Legislation center on our
website. Here you can examine DEQ’s proposed 2009-11 budget, review
implementation plans for the rest of the 2007-09 biennium, find out about our
proposed legislation, and read agency testimony and reports.
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