The Department of Environmental Quality told the House interim committee it has adopted a three‑pronged approach to make air‑quality permitting more timely and consistent: targeted permitting tools and templates, a one‑stop online permitting portal (YDO) for transparency, and a new dedicated permits team to separate permit writing from inspections and compliance work.

Policy and External Affairs Manager Matt Davis said the agency is focusing templates and resources on industry types with high demand, has expanded the use of general permits where appropriate, and developed a data center template and an air‑curtain incinerator general permit to speed reviews. Erin Tiburbaugh, DEQ policy analyst for air quality, said the new permits team is already processing complete applications with a target of getting some permits from complete application to public notice within four months.

Committee members pressed for measurable progress on Title 5 operating permit renewals, which are the most complex portion of the program. Davis acknowledged that the agency has not yet made sustained progress on the Title 5 renewal backlog, in part because those permits take years to develop and because staffing increases after the 2023 fee changes have only recently been posted and onboarded. He said DEQ is close to pre‑2023 staffing levels for Title 5 work and expects further improvement as new, specialized hires come up to speed.

DEQ also described YDO, a transparency tool launched in November that lets applicants and the public see where permits stand in the queue and identify process pinch points. The agency said the portal and the permits team should help identify and fix bottlenecks while freeing regional staff to focus on compliance and routine inspections.

Legislators asked for a return with specific counts of Title 5 permits completed in 2024–25 and for more detail on whether internal management directives related to Clean Air Oregon will help or complicate timelines. DEQ agreed to follow up with the committee.