Columbia Gorge Economic Development Association

Environment :: Oregon Information

Oregon Environmental Info

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Mission Statement

The mission of The Department of Environmental Quality is to be an active leader to restore, enhance and maintain the quality of Oregon's air, water and land.

State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Headquarters Office:

811 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204-1390
Tel: 503-229-5696
Fax: 503- 229-6124

Columbia Gorge Office:

Columbia Gorge Community College
400 East Scenic Drive, Bldg 2
The Dalles, OR 97058
Tel: 541-298-7255

Air Quality

Air Contaminant Discharge Permits

Required for any facility emitting 5 tons per year of particulate or 10 tons per year of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, or volatile organic compounds. Any rock crusher, asphalt plant or cement ready-mix plant needs an air permit. For facilities with emissions of hazardous air pllutants (HAP), the threshold can be much lower.

Federal Operating Permits

Permits are required for facilities:

potential to emit 10 tons of an individual hazardous air pollutant or 25 tons of aggregate hazardous air pollutant.
potential to emit 100 tons of any regulated air pollutant (excluding hazardous air pollutants).
unwilling to accept limits on potential emissions to stay below the major source thresholds of 10 tons, 25 tons, or 100 tons as outlined above.

Water Quality

There are three permits relating to water quality which are administered by the DEQ.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permits are issued to all facilities which discharge waste water to surface waters, such as from commercial or industrial facilities, municipal sewage treatment plants, confined animal feeding operations with point source discharges, and mining operations. The NPDES program is federally mandated and administered by the state.
Water Pollution Control Facility
(WPCF) permits apply to all waste waters disposed on land or injected into the ground with no direct discharge to surface waters, e.g., land irrigation, evapotranspiration lagoons, industrial seepage pits, and certain subsurface sewage disposal design systems. The WPCF permit system is a state program.
General Permits
are issued by the DEQ as an umbrella to cover categories of minor discharges that have historically not caused serious water pollution problems in Oregon. If an operator qualifies for a General Permit, it is unnecessary to obtain an individual NPDES or WPCF permit. To determine eligibility, an operator must file an abbreviated application and submit a $50 filing fee. The DEQ will respond promptly informing the operator if they qualify for a General Permit or must apply for an individual permit and provide a list of limitations, if any that exist for their category of General Permit.

The preceeding applies to any facility which plans to engage in the following activities:

Discharge waste water to surface public water.
Discharge storm water associated with industrial activity directly or indirectly through storm sewers or storm drainage to surface waters.
Disturb five (5) or more acres of land with clearing, grading, excavation, and/or construction activities.
Discharge some waste water to surface public waters and dispose of some waste water on land with no direct discharge to surface public waters.

Applicable persons should contact DEQ to apply for a NPDES permit and determine any other steps which need to be taken.

Any facility with plans to dispose of waste water on land or inject into the ground with no direct discharge to surface waters should contact DEQ to apply for a Water Pollution Control Facility permit and have waste water treatment facility plans reviewed.

Hazardous Waste

Many operations, from small businesses to larger manufacturing facilities and government agencies, may generate hazardous wastes that are regulated under state and federal law. This covers waste that is toxic, corrosive, ignitable or reactive, or has other potentially dangerous characteristics. Any facility that generates regulated hazardous waste should be aware of the regulatory responsibilities involved.

DEQ Hazardous Waste Program staff from Bend, Portland and Pendleton cover the Columbia Gorge area. The program works to ensure compliance with regulations that protect human health and the environment from improper storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste. The program uses a blend of inspections and technical assistance to help facilities understand and comply with those regulations. The staff also helps facilities identify pollution-prevention opportunities that may help them reduce the amount of hazardous waste they generate.

The range of hazardous waste services DEQ provides to the Columbia Gorge area includes:

Direct technical assistance, including non-regulatory site visits.
Telephone and other technical assistance on local hazardous waste issues. For example:
- answering questions about the hazardous waste activities existing or proposed business activities
- responding to citizen complaints or questions
- dealing with abandoned hazardous waste
- providing guidance on proper handling of hazardous waste associated with contaminated site cleanup
Opportunities for cities and counties to sponsor local collection events for hazardouse waste generated by small business and agricultural activities. These are often sponsored in conjunction with household hazardous waste collections.

For more information, contact DEQ in Bend at (541) 388-6146, in Pendleton at (541) 278-4063 or in Portland at (503) 229-5913. You can reach any DEQ office toll-free in Oregon by calling 1-800-452-4011

Solid Waste

Anyone planning to operate a site where garbage, demolition waste, industrial waste, land clearing debris, or sludge is stored, received, processed or land filled will need to:

Apply for a solid waste disposal permit which includes a land-use compatibility statement form, evidence of need and evidence of compatibility with the local solid waste management plan. Application processing fees range from $1,000 to $10,000. For more info contact 541-298-7255.

Underground Storage Tanks

Your underground storage tank is regulated by the Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality if it:

contains petroleum products or listed chemical products and is NOT a heating oil tank used for heating the premises;
has 10% or more of the total volume beneath the ground including piping;
has a capacity larger than 110 gallons; OR
is located at a farm or residence and is larger than 1,100 gallons

In order to receive fuel deliveries in Oregon underground storage tanks you must first receive a General Permit Registration Certificate to Operate from ODEQ. To qualify for a Certificate to Operate, a tank must meet the 1998 technical standards for corrosion control, and spill / overfill prevention as well as leak detection and financial responsibility (insurance) requirements. Tanks which do not meet these standards cannot receive fuel and must be permanently decommissioned by removal or filling in place.

You must apply for General Permit Registration to Operate prior to installing or bringing an underground storage tank into operation. The application fee for this permit is $60 per tank (as of Jan 1, 2000) and the average processing time is 30 days.

Contact the Underground Storage Tank Program toll free in Oregon by dialing the VST Message Helpline at 1-800-742-7848 or dial direct at (503) 229-6652. If you are planning to permanently decommission or perform work on an underground storage tank you will also need to contact DEQ's Underground Storage Tank Program to obtain the proper forms and follow the correct procedures.

Pollution Control Tax Credits

Businesses in Oregon are eligible for a tax credit for constructing, installing, and using equipment to prevent and control air, water, hazardous waste or noise pollution; or that recycles or recovers a useful product from a solid or hazardous waste or used oil. Tax credits are also available to Oregon businesses that make capital investments in order to manufacture a reclaimed plastic product. To apply, contact the Management Services division at (503) 229-6484 to receive tax credit application material.