The latest news from Oregon Environmental Council

January 15, 2019

Forever and blue jeans

I love my jeans, and wear them until they are no longer socially acceptable. But even then—it just doesn’t seem right to throw them in the trash. So I have piles of old denim waiting to become the next—what?Just this week, our ...more

January 14, 2019

Decades of diesel

Oregon's path to clearing the air of diesel pollution is a long one, but 2019 is the year to get serious about solutions. Check out our timeline for the policies—and missed deadlines—that have led us to this moment of change.more

January 8, 2019

Contaminated Drinking Water: A Hidden Problem

The Problem:More than 70% of Oregonians get some of their drinking water from wells, and 23% of Oregonians rely on privately owned wells as their primary source of water. Yet in many parts of the state, this water is polluted. Thousa...more

January 7, 2019

Latinos Unidos Siempre: The power to create change

To Sandra Hernández- Lomelí, the future of environmental protection lies in empowering people to advocate for themselves.For too long, the Latinx community in Oregon has been disconnected from the environmental community, she ...more

December 20, 2018

22 milestones for Oregon in 2018

Oregon Environmental Council has a bold agenda for 2019, but before we jump ahead we pause to reflect and to express our gratitude to the extraordinary community partners, civic leaders, board members and donors who stood up for a better ...more

December 17, 2018

Salem area dedicates Good Cents, celebrates Bottle Bill

The crisp, mostly sunny day was perfect to commemorate the ground-breaking law, to learn about its impact today,and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Environmental Council. Our organization partnered with the City of Salem and the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative to commission Good Cents,a sculpture by celebrated Oregon artists Lillian Pitt, and Mikkel and Saralyn Hilde. more

December 13, 2018

Cleaner air and construction for Portland

Today, Portland adopted “clean air construction standards,” a policy that will bring an end to the dirtiest diesel construction equipment on city-funded projects. They’ll start by restricting idling of heavy-duty diesel engines on ...more

December 12, 2018

Green tips for the season of giving

Joy, peace and jolly to you! Here at Oregon Environmental Council, we believe in the power and health benefits of celebration. We also believe the "season of giving” includes giving people the tools they need to act on their environmen...more

December 11, 2018

Accurate labels, or cover-up?

Just as Oregon begins to find out how toxic chemicals occur in children's products, a federal bill could block that information. The American Chemistry Council and other industry groups are behind the proposed "Accurate Labels Act" ...more

December 6, 2018

Toxic Free Kids Act 2018: All chemicals reported

Below is a table of all chemicals of concern reported to the Oregon Health Authority as occurring in children's products as of September, 2018. These reports from manufacturers comply with the Toxic Free Kids Act. The table may take a ...more