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DEQ and OHA propose $6 million brownfields and statewide toxics monitoring to identify contamination hotspots
Summary
DEQ and OHA urged the council to fund an Oregon priority brownfields initiative (pre‑proposal ~$6 million) to characterize and clean contaminated sites and to expand toxics and fish tissue monitoring statewide to identify contaminants such as PCBs and PFAS.
DEQ and the Oregon Health Authority presented a paired approach to identifying and addressing contaminated sites: DEQ’s proposed Oregon Priority Brownfields Initiative would expand capacity for site characterization and cleanup while OHA would use epidemiology and community engagement to assess health risk and resource local facilitators for public outreach. Ryan Hoof (DEQ) described how the funding would pay for environmental task‑order contractors and project management oversight, while Gabriela Goldfarb (OHA) said OHA would help “tell people what it means for their health.”
DEQ also proposed a complementary statewide toxics and fish‑tissue monitoring program to build on a Columbia River EPA grant and extend sampling across Oregon’s watersheds to identify emerging and legacy contaminants. Hoof said the toxics monitoring would provide a preliminary statewide dataset that could guide prioritization of restoration and potential fish consumption advisories. The agencies stressed community engagement and coordination with tribes and local partners before selecting sites and moving to cleanup work.
