Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page i 0507 Legislatively Approved Budget page

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1 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Contents I. Executive Summary...1 II. Overview DEQ s Mission Statement... 2 DEQ s Vision Statement... 2 DEQ s Values... 2 DEQ s Strategic Directions... 3 DEQ s Performance Measures... 4 DEQ s Economic and Environmental Action Plan... 4 III. Past Successes and Ongoing Activities Internal Actions... 4 External Actions... 5 Protect Oregon s Water... 5 Protect Human Health and the Environment from Toxics... 8 IV. New Sustainability Goals and Actions Goal 1: Promote Internal Actions to Foster Sustainability Action: Implement Resource Efficiency Measures Goal 2: Protect Oregon s Water Action: Encourage Broader Reuse of Wastewater Goal 3: Protection Human Health and the Environment from Toxics Action: Promote Clean Diesel Engines and Fuels Action: Protect Public Health from Toxic Chemicals V. Internal Communications Program VI. Coordination with Other Agencies Appendices - Available upon request Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page i 0507 Legislatively Approved Budget page

2 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DEQ s 2004 Sustainability Plan is the biennium work plan for directing agency efforts toward a sustainable Oregon in the 21st century. DEQ s core work is environmental protection. Our priorities for this work as well as initiatives to involve communities and bolster our economy are outlined in our Strategic Directions, which were formulated in 2002 and focus on a new brand of environmental accountability for the agency. Developing the 2004 Sustainability Plan provided the opportunity to expand our vision and partner with other state agencies on a collaborative vision for Oregon s future. This plan recognizes our accomplishments in sustainability both within the agency and with our customers. It outlines actions the agency will take toward sustainability and provides a mechanism for measuring our successes over the long term. DEQ intends to address environmental and public health concerns and incorporate economic and community considerations in all of our work. DEQ s Sustainability Plan goals are: To Promote Internal Actions to Foster Sustainability: Maximizing sustainability in our daily operations is not only the right thing to do, it is a catalyst for incorporating new sustainability concepts into our policies and program development work as well. To Protect Oregon s Water: Water quality is critical to a growing state economy and livable communities. The actions in this plan are aimed at protecting the quantity and quality of water for the future. To Protect Human Health and the Environment from Toxics: Toxics and their long term health effects are of concern to Oregonians. The actions in this plan will continue forward movement toward reducing toxic risks throughout the state. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

3 II. OVERVIEW DEQ s Mission To be a leader in restoring, maintaining and enhancing the quality of Oregon's air, water, and land. Sustainability means using, developing and protecting resources in a manner that enables people to meet current needs and provides that future generations can also meet future needs, from the joint perspective of environmental, economic and community objectives 1. Thus, a sustainable economy and sustainable communities are necessary to achieve our mission. DEQ s Vision To work cooperatively with all Oregonians for a healthy, sustainable environment. We believe that by partnering with Oregonians a sustainable environment, a sustainable economy and sustainable communities can be achieved. We implement our mission by working with citizens, business, advocacy groups and other government agencies as we seek sustainable solutions to environmental protection. DEQ s Values We promote the following cultural values within DEQ: Environmental Results, Customer Service, Partnership, Excellence and Integrity, Employee Growth, Teamwork, Diversity, and Employee Health and Safety. We seek to achieve sustainable environmental results not just implement programs. We strive to deliver excellence by basing our decisions on sound science and measuring our performance. We also strive to deliver excellent service because we believe that how we do our work is as important as what we do. We focus on building a strong and diverse workforce and providing our staff with the tools and resources they need to achieve our vision of a healthy, sustainable environment Oregon Sustainability Act. See Appendix A for links to State of Oregon sustainability initiatives, including the Sustainability Act, the Sustainability Board and Governor Kulongoski s Sustainability Executive Order. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

4 DEQ s Strategic Directions DEQ worked throughout two years to develop a roadmap for the agency which was introduced in 2002 as the DEQ Strategic Directions. The overarching goal of the effort was to look at the agency s mission and vision with an eye toward doing more for the environment, doing it better than before, and doing it differently to satisfy the ever changing needs of Oregonians. The near term work to implement our mission and vision is summarized in DEQ s Strategic Directions (see Appendix B) Note: An update to the status of the Strategic Directions will be available in Spring The Strategic Directions includes four priorities. Two of the priorities focus on how we do our work: Deliver Excellence in Performance and Product Involve Oregonians in Solving Environmental Problems Two of the priorities focus on what work we do: Protect Oregon s Water Protect Human Health and the Environment from Toxics Our Strategic Directions also identify the key actions we will take to implement each priority. These do not catalogue past and ongoing work, but identify what we will do more, better, and differently to achieve our priorities. These key actions will cause us to stretch beyond old ways of approaching environmental needs. The Sustainability Plan highlights four key actions that will help us achieve our sustainability goals. These are: Promote Internal Actions to Foster Sustainability Encourage Broader Reuse of Wastewater Promote Clean Diesel Engines and Fuels Protect Public Health from Mercury and Other Toxic Chemicals Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

5 DEQ s Executive Performance Measures We measure progress in achieving our Strategic Directions through a series of Executive Performance Measures (See Appendix C). These measures are linked to key actions we are taking to implement our priorities. DEQ s Economic and Environmental Action Plan Our Economic and Environmental Action Plan describes how we will support a healthy and sustainable environment and economy (See Appendix D). The plan describes DEQ s program to protect environmental quality while supporting economic development in Oregon s urban and rural communities. This Economic and Environmental Action Plan, which includes the actions identified in this sustainability plan, is an element of a comprehensive plan developed by the Governor s Natural Resource Office to achieve a livable Oregon through vibrant economies supporting a sustainable ecosystem. III. PAST SUCCESSES AND ONGOING ACTIVITIES Internal Actions DEQ employees, by virtue of the work they do, are sensitive to the need to walk the talk of environmental preservation. Modeling sustainable behavior in our own work practices is an excellent mechanism for demonstrating the ease of sustainability as well as the benefits. Recognizing there is a great deal more we can do, this plan will provide renewed energy and commitment to sustainability activities throughout the agency. DEQ initiated an in-house recycling program in the early 1980s. Its longevity and success is due to the commitment of dedicated staff in every office. A 1999 internal practices evaluation identified resource efficiency improvement opportunities and developed baseline efficiency indicators for paper use, photocopying, envelope use, postage and purchase of other office supplies. In response to that body of work, in 2000, DEQ instituted the agency wide InnerGreen Project to integrate as many resource efficiency changes as possible. A July 2001 InnerGreen Project Report is attached as Appendix E and describes the DEQ s progress in achieving the InnerGreen goals. Efforts continue throughout the agency, such as using dedicated printers that reuse paper to print draft documents, double sided photocopying and computer printing, reducing duplicate subscriptions, sharing documents Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

6 electronically rather than hard copy and reusing office supplies. New actions and a more formal measurement process for the future are outlined in section IV of this 2004 Sustainability Plan. External Actions Background DEQ s most significant contribution to sustainability is through external regulatory action and technical assistance. Regulatory programs are enacted by Congress and are delegated to the State and DEQ by the US Environmental Protection Agency (such as the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts), and programs approved by the Oregon Legislature (for example, the 1983 Opportunity to Recycle Act, and the Toxic Use Reduction Program). A chronology of major federal and state programs implemented at DEQ since 1980 is found in Appendix I. While more remains to be done, DEQ can count many past and ongoing successes that directly affect sustainability in Oregon. 1. Protect Oregon's Water Clean water is the lifeblood of Oregon s economy and environment. It is DEQ s job to protect and improve surface, ground and coastal waters throughout the state for drinking, industrial processes, agricultural and recreational activities, healthy ecosystems and wildlife habitat. DEQ implements a number of federal and state programs to protect Oregon s water for a wide variety of uses. Water sampling data is collected and analyzed by DEQ, Federal agencies, local governments and businesses to continually assess the quality of Oregon s waters. Historically, we have controlled water pollution from industrial and municipal wastewater. These are the easiest sources of pollution to identify and address. It is now recognized that a more comprehensive vision is called for. As Oregon s population grows and places more demand on our water resources, DEQ is taking a broader approach to protecting Oregon s water that offers an integrated, long-term method of managing the impacts of ongoing water pollution. The water quality programs at DEQ fall into three general categories and include protecting surface water, protecting ground water and protecting drinking water. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

7 Protecting surface water DEQ has made a great deal of progress in protecting surface water to ensure sustainable drinking water supplies, fish habitat and recreational uses but there is more work to be done. DEQ monitors rivers and streams and reviews available data and information to determine if water quality standards, set to protect these uses, are being met. Currently, there are more than 13,300 stream miles that violate one or more water quality standard. DEQ is developing plans, known as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), on a subbasin basis for the 91 subbasins in Oregon. These plans identify the maximum amount of pollution that a waterbody can handle on a sustainable basis and still meet water quality standards. Strategies to be implemented to bring the waterbody back into compliance are also identified. Since May 2000, DEQ has completed TMDLs for 393 listed stream segments in 16 subbasins. DEQ has set the goal to complete initial TMDLs for all subbasins by Additional work to refine TMDLs and address additional parameters will be needed beyond this date. The TMDLs are then incorporated into permit limits for industrial and municipal dischargers, sometimes referred to as point sources because their waste water is discharged through a pipe. The TMDLs also drive efforts to reduce nonpoint runoff from storm water, agricultural and forestry practices and other sources. Addressing these nonpoint sources is one of the biggest challenges in protecting surface water, and DEQ has partnered with other agencies and businesses to make progress in this area. For example, we have partnered with local watershed councils to improve the vegetation along river beds - known as the riparian area - to provide better habitat for salmon. DEQ helps both point and nonpoint sources invest in water quality improvement through loan and grant programs. The loan program itself is an example of sustainability as it is designed to become self-sustaining. Our efforts to protect surface water also include programs to certify that activities which require a federal permit, such as dredge and fill activities or hydroelectric re-licensing, will not cause a water quality standard violation. To do this, we work with other state and federal agencies in the review of the activities in order to develop the certification or identify conditions under which the project could be certified. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

8 Protecting groundwater Groundwater makes up approximately 95 percent of the available freshwater resource in Oregon. Oregon s businesses require clean groundwater for industries such as food processing, dairies, manufacturing and computer chip production as well as for irrigation and livestock watering. DEQ protects groundwater through four programs: on-site wastewater treatment, water pollution control facility (WPCF) permitting and underground injection control. DEQ provides technical assistance to other agencies that facilitates groundwater protection. The La Pine National Demonstration Project, funded by a $5.5 million, 5-year, federal grant will evaluate a variety of innovative on-site systems to determine the ability of these systems to work effectively while at the same time minimize their impacts on groundwater. In areas where groundwater contamination is found, DEQ addresses the release of hazardous substances through its environmental cleanup programs. For non-hazardous substances, DEQ develops action plans for Groundwater Management Areas. There are two groundwater management areas, Northern Malheur County and Lower Umatilla Basin, and DEQ is proposing a third one for the Southern Willamette Valley. Protecting drinking water The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act require state agencies to conduct source water assessments for every public water supply. There are approximately 2,700 existing public water systems that will be addressed under this program. To do this work, DEQ and the Department of Human Services (DHS) have partnered to: delineate the groundwater and surface water source areas which supply public water systems; inventory each of those areas to determine potential sources of contamination; and determine the areas most at risk for contamination. This work is summarized in an assessment report that is provided to the public water supply to serve as a basis for developing a protection plan and for making informed land use decisions in the future. State law does not require to public water system management plans to reduce the risk of contamination from sources. DEQ and DHS provide technical assistance as water suppliers voluntarily work through the process to develop a plan. The primary incentive for developing a plan is the benefit of a more secure source of high quality water. Other perhaps more tangible incentives include: lower costs to the public by a reduction in water supply monitoring requirements; reduced likelihood of costs for replacement and/or treatment of contaminated drinking water; and protection of property Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

9 values and preserving the local and regional economic growth potential for an area. A recent EPA study demonstrated the ratio of contaminant clean up costs to basic prevention costs ranges from 5 to1 to 200 to1. In developing recommendations for protecting drinking water, DEQ and DEH will maximize the use of other programs such as household hazardous waste collection and agricultural water quality protection. 2. Protect Human Health and the Environment from Toxics Oregonians are exposed to a wide range of chemical substances in products or wastes that are released to the environment. Many of these substances can be toxic to human health and the environment, and some last for long periods or accumulate through the food chain. DEQ is charged with reducing the use and release of toxic substances, as well as cleaning up spills and deposits of toxic substances in the environment. DEQ has taken a number of approaches to protect human health and the environment from toxics, including: helping businesses find alternatives to using toxic chemicals; reducing release of toxic chemicals to the air and water; setting standards for safe hazardous waste treatment and disposal; and cleaning up abandoned mine tailings, contaminated sediments, abandoned waste sites and leaking underground tanks. While these specific efforts continue, we are developing a comprehensive approach to toxics that may be released into the air, water or land and then build up in the environment. This approach goes beyond traditional regulation of industry, and considers toxics released from everyday activities such as driving, using household and commercial products, using energy, and applying chemicals to the land. We are also improving our ability to handle a potential chemical crisis from accidents or terrorist activities. DEQ presented a comprehensive approach to developing a Toxics Reduction Strategy to the state s Environmental Quality Commission in December The strategy is to be completed by the end of 2004 and will focus on prevention, management and cleanup of toxics in the environment. This strategy will expand on efforts that are already underway and look at a cross environmental media/cross program approach to toxics. Following are a few key initiatives already underway: Preventing generation of toxics In 1989, Oregon's Legislature adopted one of the first pollution prevention planning programs in the nation. Among other provisions, the 1989 Toxics Use and Hazardous Waste Reduction Law directs DEQ to provide facilities that use toxic chemicals or generate hazardous waste with technical assistance. Through onsite consultations and other efforts, DEQ Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

10 has helped hundreds of facilities throughout Oregon reduce their use of toxic chemicals and their generation of hazardous waste. Many of DEQ s technical assistance visits have been related to specific geographic or sector-based outreach efforts. For example, some 435 technical assistance site visits were conducted during the fiscal year 2000; 150 were associated with efforts to assist dry cleaners in complying with new waste minimization requirements that became effective in Similarly, in fiscal year 2002, approximately 177 of 440 completed technical assistance visits related to pollution prevention efforts in the Pringle Creek watershed, located in south Salem. Both geographic and sector-based technical assistance efforts have helped businesses implement waste prevention and waste management efforts. DEQ also assists entities in implementing a variety of pollution prevention activities. Currently, DEQ is partnering with other organizations in carrying out several EPA-funded grants including a dairy manometer exchange, mercury automotive switch, boiler energy efficiency and thermostat recycling programs. Similarly, DEQ is working with other groups to develop best management practices for managing mercury associated with dental offices, vehicle recycling yards and health care facilities. Managing toxics to reduce exposure DEQ implements a wide spectrum of federal and state laws and programs aimed at safe management of the toxics and hazardous chemicals which are generated or used. For example, DEQ is responsible for implementing the federal hazardous waste program (known as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or RCRA) and solid waste landfill permitting requirements. DEQ also implements clean air and clean water permit requirements including federal laws related to facility management of toxics. With DEQ support, many communities now offer household hazardous waste collection facilities and similar programs to help residents and small businesses manage and safely dispose of toxics present in the home. State toxics programs and initiatives continue to evolve as we learn more about toxics and their effects and as federal requirements change. For example, in December of 2003, the state s Environmental Quality Commission adopted new regulations pertaining to air toxics. Under these rules, in communities experiencing or likely to experience unsafe concentrations of toxics will develop community plans to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals to levels which are protective of human health. Cleaning up toxics Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

11 Other DEQ programs address toxics already released into the environment as a result of contemporary spills and accidents as well as past practices. For example, DEQ's Emergency Management Program works with other agencies and industry to respond to spills of oil and hazardous materials. Oil and hazardous material spills pose a major potential threat to Oregon's waters, air, land, and wildlife. Large volumes of oil move along the Columbia River and along the coast. In addition, hazardous materials are shipped along the highways and by rail. DEQ works with other agencies and industry to prevent and respond to spills of these materials. The program also coordinates removal of drug lab materials which would otherwise present a risk to the public. DEQ s Cleanup programs address past releases of hazardous substances including releases of hazardous substances and releases from petroleum and home heating oil storage tanks. DEQ issues No Further Action determinations for sites that satisfactorily address cleanup requirements and many sites are cleaned up voluntarily by property owners who need these No Further Action letters, typically for real estate transaction purposes. In addition, in cases where a past release of hazardous substances poses a significant threat to human health or the environment, DEQ will require cleanup or may use state Orphan Site Account funds to pay for necessary work. As part of the state s cleanup program, DEQ continues to evaluate, prioritize and clean up abandoned and inactive mine sites. These sites can be a significant continuing source of mercury and other toxic releases. All cleanups that are approved or selected by DEQ must assure protection of public health, safety, welfare and the environment in accordance with acceptable risk levels adopted by the state Legislature. IV. SUSTAINABILITY GOALS AND ACTIONS Borrowing from and expanding on DEQ s 2003 Strategic Directions, the agency goals for the current Sustainability Plan are to: 1. Promote Internal Actions to Foster Sustainability 2. Protect Oregon s Water 3. Protect Human Health and the Environment from Toxics Goal 1: Promote Internal Actions to Foster Sustainability Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

12 Action Implement Resource Efficiency Measures DEQ has 831 employees in 17 offices located around the state, a laboratory and 6 vehicle inspection stations. Each office has initiated some recycling and energy saving measures. Utilizing a menu of options described in Appendix F, the goal of the 2004 Sustainability Plan is for each office to commit to additional actions that are appropriate and achievable. Each office will designate a representative to the agency Sustainability Team. The Team will champion the new actions to be implemented, measure progress and make recommendations for the future. Each office will: Reduce per capita paper consumption Reduce the number of miles driven per capita from 2003 levels Implement seven energy saving initiatives Implement four resource efficiency options In addition, members of the team will work closely with the Department of Administrative Services to develop new policies that promote sustainable state operations. Purchasing guidelines, electronics recycling, green building and motor vehicle efficiencies are a few of the areas that will be evaluated (See Section VI). This plan represents an opportunity to motivate staff behavior changes that will result in more internal sustainable operations while at the same time providing education about the positive effects of sustainable behaviors, both in and out of the workplace. Action Target Date Who Partners Measure Sustainability chair Team assembled and March 2004 All DEQ offices and Sustainability functioning Team* Establish a statewide Sustainability Team Reduce per capita paper consumption Reduce the number of miles driven per capita from 2003 levels July 2005 July 2005 All DEQ offices All DEQ offices All staff and managers, sustainability team All staff and managers, sustainability team Percent reduction in annual consumption Number of miles reduced Implement seven energy saving July 2005 All DEQ offices All staff and Number of initiatives Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

13 Action Target Date Who Partners Measure initiatives managers, implemented sustainability team Implement four resource efficiency All staff and Number of resource All DEQ offices options July 2005 managers, efficiency options sustainability team implemented * Sustainability Team Members: Monica Russell, Susan Christensen, Kathleen Craig, Doug Drake, Dawn Farr, Brian Fuller, Rich Grant, Dave Kunz, Larry McAllister, Cameron Oster, Pat Vernon Goal 2: Protect Oregon s Water Action: Encourage Broader Reuse of Wastewater The direct release of treated wastewater into surface water is a common water quality management practice. This wastewater, while technically clean, often contains nutrient and temperature levels that exceed natural water conditions. As an alternative to direct release, many treatment plants have developed strategies to reuse treated water to irrigate crops, provide a source of water for municipal and industrial economic development, or restore wetland habitats. Reclamation of wastewater has many potential benefits; including reducing use of limited drinking water supplies for nondrinking purposes. Restoration also promotes in-stream water flows for Oregon s rivers to sustain fisheries and other instream uses. To increase the number of facilities producing reclaimed wastewater to 10 percent of total facilities by July 2005, we will have to overcome a number of challenges. The first is the public s perception that highly treated wastewater is unhealthy. Through public education and outreach, DEQ will work with its partners to inform the public about the facts and alleviate the perceptions. The other critical challenge is ensuring that Oregon s smaller communities have the financial resources to implement wastewater reuse. Whenever possible, DEQ will leverage other state and federal funds with its Clean Water State Revolving Fund loans to encourage reuse of community wastewater. We will pursue the following specific actions: Action Target Date Who Partners Measure Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

14 Action Target Date Who Partners Measure July 2005 W Q Div. Completion of Administrator Land Division 55 rule Application & revisions and Licensing section guidance Manager Encourage wastewater reuse through new technologies and clear user guidance. Establish a wastewater reuse reporting process. Use the data to verify the types and level of wastewater reuse in Oregon Promote the incentives within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to encourage funding for additional reuse projects. July 2005 W Q Div. Administrator, Surface Water Management and Land Applications and Licensing section Managers W Q Div Administrator, Program Policy and Project Assistance Section Manager Association of Clean Water Agencies (ACWA), the Association of Oregon Industries (AOI), the Department of Human Services (public health), the Water Resources Department and Oregon s engineering community Association of Clean Water Agencies (ACWA), wastewater system operators Eligible public agencies and Oregon s engineering community Number of facilities providing data on reuse. Additional number of loans granted. DEQ, working with interested parties, will explore the opportunities and barriers regarding wastewater reuse. DEQ, as directed by Senate Bill 820, will submit its findings to the next legislative assembly. Water Quality Division Administrator Oregon Water Resources Department (WRD) and the Department of Human Services Heath Services Successful coordination with interested parties and report submitted to the legislature during FY 2005 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

15 Goal 3: Protect Human Health and the Environment from Toxics Action: Promote Clean Diesel Engines and Fuels DEQ s preliminary assessment of health risk from thirteen air toxics reveals diesel particulate emissions from trucks, buses, construction and farm equipment pose the greatest health risk in Oregon by an order of magnitude over any other toxic and eight times greater than the combined risk from the next twelve air toxics. While emissions from diesel engines cause significant public health concerns and contribute to global warming, technology is now available to greatly reduce these impacts. DEQ will focus on reduced health risks from diesel engines through retrofitting diesel engines with exhaust controls, early use of cleaner diesel fuels and biodiesel, and alternatives to the common practice of diesel engine idling. Successful and widespread implementation of these technologies will result in tremendous savings to the Oregon economy through lowered contributions to global warming, reduced costs for medical care, increased workplace productivity and improved quality of life. Clean diesel will enable diesel engines to continue playing a key role in making Oregon s economy productive in a less polluting way DEQ s Clean Diesel goals are: To bring cleaner diesel to market at an acceptable price for interested fleet owners in the Willamette Valley and central Oregon by June 2004 and for southern and eastern Oregon by June To encourage these fuel users to retrofit exhaust controls on the most appropriate vehicles in their fleets over a reasonably but aggressively phased schedule and to secure commitment from at least one sizeable fleet in To encourage infrastructure development at truck stops that will result in fuel savings and emission reductions. DEQ will foster public/private partnerships through Oregon solutions to build at least one emission free truck stop along the Interstate 5 corridor in the next year. Because special handling considerations and fuel distribution channels increase the cost of fuels, DEQ s first challenge in achieving the fuel market goal is to identify and aggregate sufficient demand in order to readily utilize the existing infrastructure. To achieve the retrofit goal, our challenge is to overcome owner concerns about costs, impact on power train reliability and manufacturer warranties. We will address the operational concerns by developing Oregon Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

16 demonstration projects that will showcase how these devices work in actual work settings. To overcome the cost hurdle, the Pollution Control Tax Credit has been available to offset the expense of these pollution controls. We are aggressively seeking other funds through grants and other means to offset costs, especially for early adopters. We are also developing public recognition programs that would result in somewhat less tangible but nonetheless valuable returns. With idling reduction approaches the challenge at truck stops will be to secure consensus among truck stop operators, truck manufacturers, independent truckers and fleet operators about the type and form of technologies that could be used to reduce the need to idle. Harbor settings, where ocean going ships idle during their time in port, represent an additional challenge based on the international nature of the commerce. Options for idling reduction here will require buy-in from all major ports on the west coast of North America to prevent displacement of shipping traffic to nonparticipating ports. The final challenge is to secure the involvement and support of many different parties including fuel suppliers, fleet operators, engine manufacturers, truck manufacturers and retrofit vendors and manufacturers. We will pursue the following specific actions: Action Target Date Who Partners Measure June 2004 to June 2005 Lead efforts to secure distribution of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, initially to the Willamette Valley and central Oregon. Initiate and lead efforts to extend ultra low sulfur distribution to southern and eastern Oregon. Support efforts to promote biodiesel use in Oregon. Lead efforts to retrofit highway and non road diesel vehicles with best available retrofit emission control devices. July 2005 Air Quality Division Administrator, Program Operations Section Manager Air Quality Division Administrator, Program Operations Section Manager Public and private fleets in the targeted areas, Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority, Washington Department of Ecology, local air pollution control agencies in Washington state, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fuel refiners and distributors Public and private fleets; trade organizations; vendors of retrofit equipment; public health and environmental Annual number of gallons of fuel used. Number of diesel engines retrofitted. Pounds of emissions reduced. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

17 Action Target Date Who Partners Measure advocacy groups; and federal, state and local environmental and public health agencies. Lead efforts to ensure truck stop electrification on the I-5 corridor as part of the Governor s climate change initiative. July 2005 Air Quality Division Administrator, Program Operations Section Manager Interstate trucking companies, truck stop operators, trade associations for trucking companies and truck stop operators, federal, Canadian, Oregon, Washington, and California energy, environmental and transportation agencies. Number of truck stops fitted with engine idling mitigation technologies. Pounds of emissions reduced. Annual number of gallons of fuel saved. Evaluate options to reduce diesel marine engine idling as part of the Governor s climate change initiative September 2004 Air Quality Division Administrator, Program Operations Section Manager Public ports associations, international shipping companies and freight forwarders, federal, Canadian and Oregon, Washington and California energy and environmental agencies. Number and utilization of options installed Action: Protect Public Health from Mercury and Other Toxic Chemicals Mercury and other toxic chemicals are released into the environment from a variety of sources, including use of certain products, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, mining, waste disposal, and naturally occurring sources. Some of these chemicals can build up in the environment and have a long lasting impact on environmental and human health. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

18 DEQ is seeking new ways to help Oregonians reduce the use of toxic chemicals. Beginning with mercury, we are promoting a wide range of voluntary measures to reduce releases, including partnerships to clean up abandoned and inactive mercury mines. In addition, we are evaluating ways to reduce mercury in the Willamette River as part of the overall clean water plan for the river. While these efforts are getting underway, we are also developing a comprehensive strategy to reduce health risks and environmental impacts from other toxic chemicals. This will include monitoring, data analysis, voluntary measures and regulatory actions. We will partner with others to find cost-effective, comprehensive solutions to reducing toxic pollutants that pose the greatest hazard and have the longest lasting impact on the environment and human health. Our goal is to develop a detailed toxics reduction strategy as described in Appendix G by December 2004 and implement the mercury reduction strategies identified in Appendix H by July To reach this goal, we will have to overcome a number of challenges. There is insufficient data on the naturally occurring sources of toxins in the environment, on the existing levels of toxic pollutants discharged into the environment, and on the cumulative impacts of toxic pollutant emissions on the environment. DEQ is working with a variety of partners to secure resources to gather the needed data and to develop meaningful measures of the impacts from toxic pollutants. Sources of toxic pollutants are diverse and include nearly every aspect of modern life from automobiles to farms. DEQ is working to develop a better understanding of how to address these varieties of sources. Toxic pollutants also pose a challenge to manage them without transferring the problem somewhere else. DEQ is developing diverse teams to respond to these cross-program challenges. We will pursue the following specific actions: Action Target Date Who Partners Measure December 2004 Develop a comprehensive strategy to address toxic chemicals in the air, water and land. This will include identifying and prioritizing chemicals, improving information, and improving the focus and coordination of existing DEQ programs to reduce toxics. See Appendix G for details. Air, Water and Land Quality Divisions and DEQ Regional Offices. Federal, state and local governments; industry; and environmental organizations Completion of the strategy and assignments for implementation. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

19 Action Target Date Who Partners Measure July 2005 Air, Water and Land Federal, state and local Implementation of Quality Divisions and governments; industry; measures DEQ Regional and environmental identified in Offices organizations Appendix H Implement the mercury reduction strategy to reduce releases of mercury to air, water and land. This includes a variety of specific measure to encourage the use of mercury-free products and reduce mercury releases from industrial, commercial and consumer sources. See Appendix H for details. Develop a plan to reduce mercury in the Willamette River as part of the comprehensive clean water plan for the river. December 2004 Water Quality Division, with assistance from the Air Quality Division [need to list partners] Completion of plan V. Internal Communications Program We will raise employee awareness of sustainable workplace practices through a Did You Know campaign. The concept of a Did You Know campaign originates from the basis that, as an environmental agency, our mission and goals are about sustainability, but we do not always practice sustainable actions in our day to day work. Therefore, we will select numerous internal actions managers and staff can take that will help offices around the state become more sustainable. The Did You Know communications campaign will be tied to DEQ s internal actions. In designing the Did You Know communications campaign, we will use the Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) 2 model. 2 Douglas McKenzie-Mohr, Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

20 Each DEQ office is at various stages of taking action towards sustainability, so we will adapt the Did You Know campaign to meet the needs of each office. Action Target Date Who Measure Identify internal actions March 2004 Sustainability Team * Key actions targeted Develop Did You Know campaign and communication materials Implement and evaluate the campaign June 2004 April 2005 Sustainability Team, Communications & Outreach Sustainability Team, Communications & Outreach Campaign complete and ready to roll-out Impacts of campaign; specifics to be determined at a later date * Sustainability Team Members: Monica Russell, Susan Christensen, Kathleen Craig, Doug Drake, Dawn Farr, Brian Fuller, Rich Grant, Dave Kunz, Larry McAlister, Cameron Oster, Pat Vernon Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

21 VI. Coordination with Other Agencies DEQ is committed to working with other state agencies to implement their sustainability plans. Some of the specific examples where DEQ might be of assistance to others are: 1. Department of Administrative Services (DAS) DEQ may assist DAS in developing new policies for sustainable state practices. This includes: General Purchasing: DEQ may assist DAS in establishing statewide purchasing guidelines for green products and participating in the purchasing alliance with other western states. Electronics recycling: DEQ may assist DAS in examining ways to reduce the amount of electronics products going to landfills as directed by the 2003 Legislature. Green Buildings: DEQ may assist DAS in improving green building guidelines for state facilities. Motor Vehicles: DEQ may assist DAS in strengthen its guidelines on purchasing of fuel efficient and alternative fueled motor vehicles. DEQ may provide assistance in DAS s efforts to reduce two stroke engine use by state agencies. 2. Economic and Community Development Department Through the Small Business Technical Assistance program, DEQ may work with OECDD to promote sustainable business practices. 3. Office of Energy DEQ will provide assistance on the West Coast Climate Change/Clean Energy Initiative through the diesel project outlined in this plan. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page

22 4. Parks and Recreation Department DEQ may assist the Parks and Recreation Department in reducing the use of toxic and hazardous substances. DEQ will provide technical assistance and information to help the Parks and Recreation Department phase out two-cycle engines in state parks. 5. Oregon Fish and Wildlife DEQ will assist ODFW in developing the statewide Conservation Plan by June 30, This includes: Provide GIS information on water quality by Eco-region. Provide input on conservation strategies, including coordination with land management agencies on runoff and burning/smoke issues. Coordinate with ODFW individually and via the Core Team of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Sustainability Plan page Legislatively Approved Budget page