DEQ – Hasso Hering

The Water Gardens on a fine spring day

Written March 24th, 2025 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 7 responses.

Dry, sunny and warm. What a combination! For months on end we had not had such a day as Monday. The bike and I made use of the conditions for a springtime tour of Albany’s Talking Water Gardens.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: constructed wetlands, DEQ, litigation, ponds, Talking Water Gardens

What’s next at Talking Water Gardens

Written December 9th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

The City of Albany intends to maintain the constructed wetlands known as Talking Water Gardens as a place to enjoy nature even though the place no longer functions as part of the Albany and Millersburg wastewater treatment system.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: constructed wetlands, Cox Creek, DEQ, Linn County Circuit Court, Taking Water Gardens, treated wastewater

Cities face new mandate on river trash

Written April 21st, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 22 responses.

As if cities like Albany don’t have enough to do, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is proposing to list sections of the Willamette River as “impaired” by trash. This will trigger new regulations under the federal Clean Water Act, and cities likely will bear the brunt of a new mandate.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: DEQ, environmental Quality, homeless camps, river trash, vagrant camps, volunteer cleanups, Wilalmette Riverkeeper, Willamette River

You’re advised: There’s smog in the air

Written August 14th, 2023 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 18 responses.

As if we couldn’t tell by looking around on these very hot days, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Monday issued an “air quality advisory” for the south Willamette Valley because of smog and wildfire smoke.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: air pollution, bicycling, DEQ, ozone, pollution advisory, smog

About that gas-power car ban in ’35

Written December 20th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 27 responses.

It’s surprising that there has been so little reaction or pushback since Oregon state rule makers on Monday went ahead with their plan to ban sales of piston-driven cars and pickups starting in 2035.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CO2, Commission, DEQ, electric ars, emissions, gas powered cars, global warming, Oregon clean car rule, zero-emission vehicles

Riverside trash would be a federal offense

Written June 5th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 14 responses.

Willamette Riverkeeper, a Portland-based group, wants Oregon state environmental regulators to make rules declaring riverside trash to be in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Cox Creek, DEQ, EQC, Oregon regulators, riverside trash, Willamette River, Willamette Riverkeeper

Question for the DEQ: How much and when?

Written November 30th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 29 responses.

The Oregon state government is about to adopt a program to all but stop the use of fossil fuels over the next 28 years. It seems strange that in describing the program for the general public, the administration of Governor Brown never says what this would do to citizens in Albany and elsewhere in the […]

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Climate Protection Program, DEQ, fossil fuels, natural gas