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Orchid Orthopedics

Cleaner Air Oregon is a health-based permitting program that regulates emissions of toxic air contaminants from facilities based on risk to nearby communities. CAO requires facilities to report toxic air contaminant emissions, assess potential health risks to people nearby and reduce toxic air contaminant risk if it exceeds legal limits.

As part of the Cleaner Air Oregon process, each facility has a dedicated web page to provide communities access to facility information and updates on where it is involved in the process.
  • Each step of the CAO risk assessment process has a section that includes DEQ's communications and deliverables from the facility.
  • The graphic below shows where a facility is in the Cleaner Air Oregon Process.
For additional information and history of the program, visit the Cleaner Air Oregon web page.

green arrow pointing to emissions inventory

CAO Risk Assessment Process

 

The Emissions Inventory provides information on all the Toxic Air Contaminant emissions from a facility, and includes information on a facility's operations and activities, as well as fuel and material usage rates. This is often the longest step in the CAO risk assessment process as DEQ needs to verify that all activities have been accounted for, and that the most representative emissions data available are used. In some cases, DEQ will require a facility to perform source testing at this stage if insufficient data is available to estimate emissions. For an introduction to emissions inventories and why they matter, please see EPA's Fact Sheet.​

June 27, 2024: Facility Called In to Cleaner Air Oregon

Aug.13, 2024: Orchid Orthopedics requests an Emissions Inventory extension

Aug. 15, 2024: DEQ Approves extension request

Sept. 18, 2024: Facility requests extension

Sept. 19, 2024: DEQ Approves Extension

Nov. 22, 2024: Facility submitted Emissions Inventory and Supporting Information

March 18, 2025: Facility submitted Emissions Inventory and Supporting Information 

April 28, 2025: Facility Requested Extension

May 1, 2025: DEQ Approved Extension

May 16, 2025: Facility submitted Supporting Information (currently in DEQ review)

June 17, 2025: Facility submitted revised Emissions Inventory and Supporting Information (currently in DEQ review)


About the Facility

Orchid Orthopedics Solutions Oregon, Inc. produces metal castings for the medical industry using the lost-wax process. Wax is injected into a tool to form a wax replica, or pattern, of the part desired. The wax pattern is then dipped in a slurry and coated with sand that, upon drying, forms a hard ceramic shell around the wax pattern. The wax is then melted and removed from the shell, leaving a ceramic shell mold. The ceramic shell mold is preheated for casting and molten metal is poured into the mold. Once cooled, the ceramic shell is removed from the metal casting by vibration, sandblasting, and/or chemical cleaning. The metal casting then goes through finishing processes that may include cutting, sawing, heat treating, grinding, welding, machining, and polishing. The facility was built in 1971.

DEQ Contact 

Amy Devita-McBride, Project Manager

Site Address and Map

13963 S Fir St.
Oregon City, OR 97045

 

Current Air Permit

How to get involved

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If you have questions, please email us.