File a Pollution Complaint

Reports from Oregonians are an important element of the enforcement of Oregon's environmental laws. Here are examples of complaints you can submit to DEQ.

• Unusual pollution from a facility
• Mismanagement of asbestos and hazardous waste
• Release of harmful chemicals, pollution or sewage to the ground or water
• Construction or other activity causing a stream or river to become murky
• Illegal dumping site
• Outdoor burning on state-designated non-burn days or burning illegal materials (rubber, plastic, tires, asbestos, food waste)

DEQ does not handle the following complaints

Make sure your complaint reaches the right agency. Click the links below to find contact information to the appropriate agency. 

Air Quality

• Concerns in Lane County – contact Lane Regional Air Protection Agency
• Indoor air quality (mold, mildew, radon, formaldehyde, tobacco smoke and furnaces) – contact Oregon Health Authority

Local Issues

This includes illegal dwellings, abandoned RVs, noise, restaurant or woodstove smoke, and houseless camping:

• Notify code enforcement at your local city
• Notify code enforcement at your local county
• Houseless camping within the City of Portland – contact the City's One Point of Contact system at 503-823-4000 or reportpdx@portlandoregon.gov

Smoke and Burning

• Smoke from agricultural field burning in the Willamette Valley – contact Oregon Department of Agriculture
  
• For information about who regulates other agricultural field burning – contact Oregon Department of Agriculture
  
• Smoke from forest (prescribed) burning – contact Oregon Department of Forestry
• Outdoor burning of legal materials on state-allowed burn days - contact your fire department to learn about additional, local no-burn days
  

Odors

• From hemp farms – contact Oregon Department of Agriculture to learn more about Oregon's right-to-farm agricultural laws. Odor from growing hemp is not regulated.
  
• From marijuana (cannabis) farms – contact Oregon Liquor Control Commission
  

How to submit a pollution complaint

Emergencies

Spills of oil or releases of hazardous materials that pose a significant threat to human health or the environment, and other emergencies, should be reported to the Oregon Emergency Response System at 1-800-452-0311.

If you need immediate medical attention, call 911.

Non-emergencies

For pollution that is not an emergency, click the button below to report a pollution problem online. DEQ will not contact you unless we need more information or you request to be contacted.

Note: The online submission form should be opened using Chrome or Edge. Using Internet Explorer may cause a delay or a failure in opening the form. 

Reporte problemas de contaminación en esta página de WEB. Si DEQ necesita más información, alguien se comunicará con usted. 

Reporte problemas de contaminación en esta página de WEB, Un representante del DEQ hará contacto con usted dentro de dos días hábiles. 

If you cannot use the web form, you can also report pollution problems by voicemail to DEQ. Please leave a detailed message, including:

• What is the problem?
• What is the specific location where the problem is coming from? (required)
• What kind of pollution is involved?
• How much pollution is there?
  
• Who is responsible for the pollution?
  
  

To leave a voicemail: 1-888-997-7888

DEQ will not contact you unless we need more information, or you request to be contacted. If you would like your name and contact information to be kept confidential, please indicate that in your message. This is not a 24/7 emergency response line. If this is an environmental or public health emergency due to pollution, please call 1-800-452-0311.