Reducing Toxics in Oregon 

Toxics Reduction Strategy Links to DEQ Toxics Reduction and Assessment Programs What Can You Do?

Contact Information Toxics Stakeholder Group Community Involvement

Protecting Oregonians from the impacts of toxic pollutants is a strategic priority for DEQ. There are thousands of chemicals used in the state by residents and businesses. Whether used in their raw form or in products, they can be released into Oregon's air, water and land as toxic pollutants in a variety of ways. Once in the environment, toxic pollutants can adversely affect the health of people and ecological life.

DEQ has air, land and water quality programs designed to prevent and reduce toxic pollutant releases, as well as to assess, clean up and reduce risks from toxics already in our environment. DEQ partners with a diverse range of state and local agencies, business and community organizations to reduce toxics in Oregon’s environment.

• Summary of DEQ toxics reduction and assessment programs PDF

DEQ Toxics Reduction Strategy

DEQ has adopted a comprehensive, integrated approach to address toxic pollutants in the environment. An integrated approach is essential because these pollutants readily transfer from one environmental media to another (e.g., mercury can be released to the air, deposit on the land, and run off to the water). DEQ's cross-media toxics reduction strategy will help ensure that we’re addressing the problem of toxics in the environment in the most effective and efficient way. The objectives of this strategy are to:

1. Optimize agency resources by focusing on the highest priority pollutants in a coordinated way.
2. Implement actions that reduce toxic pollutants at the source.
3. Establish partnerships with other agencies and organizations to increase the effective use of public and private resources. 
4. Use environmental outcome metrics to measure the effectiveness of strategy implementation where feasible.

DEQ has formed an external stakeholder group to help develop this strategy, and plans to complete a draft of the strategy by early 2010. The draft strategy will then be shared broadly to gather input from the public on the recommended actions. Below is a list of documents related to the Toxics Reduction Strategy:

• Draft Concept for DEQ Toxics Reduction Strategy
• Diagram Depicting Priority Toxics List Development Process
• Draft DEQ Toxics Focus List
• Summary of Sources for the Toxics List

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Links to DEQ Toxics Reduction and Assessment Programs

Air Toxics	Geographically Focused Programs
Air Toxics Program Burning and Smoke      Clean Diesel Mercury Controls at Ash Grove Cement Co. Woodstoves	Columbia River Toxics Reduction Portland Harbor Cleanup Portland Air Toxics Solutions Willamette Toxics Monitoring
Household	Water Toxics
Household Hazardous Waste Electronic Waste (E-Cycles) Product Stewardship Woodstoves	Drinking Water Protection Groundwater Protection Persistent Pollutants Water Quality Standards
Industry	Cleanup
Dry Cleaner Program Gasoline Vapor Recovery Oregon's Utility Mercury Rule PDF Toxics Use and Hazardous Waste Reduction Waste Prevention Strategy	Emergency Response Environmental Cleanup Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
Voluntary Partnerships
Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships PDF Inter-Agency Water Quality Pesticide Management Team Eco-Logical Business Program

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What Can You Do?

You can reduce your exposure to toxic pollutants and reduce the toxics you contribute to your environment. Here are some resources to get you started:

• Oregon E-Cycles – Information about free recycling of computers, monitors and TVs.

• Healthy Lawns, Healthy Families – Learn about natural alternatives for lawn and garden care.

• Household Hazardous Waste – How to identify, minimize and dispose of hazardous waste in your home.

• Oregon Dept of Human Services Environmental Public Health Toxicology Program – Information on environmental contaminants and ways to mitigate and/or prevent health risks to the public.

• Children's Health in the Home – Keeping kids safe at home, school and play. Hosted by the Oregon Dept of Human Services Environmental Toxicology Program.

• Household Products Database – General information about ingredients in household products. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 

• EPA Design for the Environment – A list of products that are good for the environment. Hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Contact Information

For more information about DEQ's agency-wide toxics reduction strategy, contact Kevin Masterson at 503-229-5615.

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