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Columbia River Basin Restoration Toxic Reduction Lead Grant

In January 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected DEQ as a Toxics Reduction Lead Grantee through the Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program. EPA awarded the agency and its partners over $6 million to prevent, reduce, and clean up toxics throughout Oregon's portion of the Columbia River Basin. 

This funding will support activities over five years to safeguard waterways from pesticides and mercury, clean up distressed properties in communities historically impacted by toxic pollutants, and implement actions to address per- and polyfluorinated (PFAS) compounds. Together, the projects funded through this federal grant will develop diverse partnerships to advance innovative toxic reduction or prevention activities designed to protect human health and the health of Oregon's land, air, and water resources: 

  • The Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Program co-managed by DEQ and the Oregon Department of Agriculture aims to prevent pesticide pollution in aquatic environments across the Columbia River Gorge, the Willamette Valley, and Middle Deschutes watersheds through education, outreach and technical support.
  • ODA and DEQ will partner to develop and implement effective strategies for reducing mercury contributions from agricultural land in key sub-basins covered under EPA's Willamette Basin Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load.
  • DEQ and partners from the University of Oregon's Resource Assistance for Rural Environments AmeriCorps Program will provide technical assistance to rural communities to reduce mercury in stormwater runoff to achieve EPA's Willamette Basin Mercury TMDL load allocations.
  • The grant will also fund the remediation of contaminated land and groundwater at up to 10 distressed properties in historically impacted communities.
  • DEQ also plans to complete and implement a statewide PFAS Strategic Plan to evaluate actions required to address PFAS in Oregon's air, land, and water resources. 

More information

​​​​Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Program
In partnership with ODA and its local partners, DEQ plans to increase education and outreach intended to increase the voluntary adoption of agricultural and urban practices to keep pesticides on-site and out of the aquatic environment. These practices may include efforts to reduce agricultural or urban runoff containing pesticides dissolved in water or bound to sediment. Learn about the PSP Program by visiting DEQ's or ODA's website.

Focused ag solutions planning
In partnership with DEQ, ODA will develop Focused Ag Solution Plans in three key sub-basins to reduce mercury contributions from agricultural lands to protect water quality, as required in EPA's Willamette Basin Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load. ODA plans to develop a public-facing data portal to report land and water quality improvements in the sub-basins in real-time. Methods and materials from this effort may be leveraged in up to an additional 6 sub-basins in the Willamette Valley.

Technical assistance to rural Willamette communities
DEQ partnered with the University of Oregon RARE AmeriCorps Program to place up to 4 graduate-level members with rural cities and towns to develop and implement actions to reduce unpermitted stormwater contributions of mercury to achieve EPA's Willamette Basin Mercury TMDL load allocations. These actions are anticipated to reduce water pollution and improve water quality by reducing stormwater discharges containing mercury.

Small-scale cleanups – distressed properties
DEQ's Environmental Cleanup Program will implement cleanup planning and cleanups for up to 10 contaminated and distressed properties in the Columbia River Basin. These properties are located in rural, suburban, and urban communities with previous site uses ranging from dry cleaners to fire training centers. Cleanup of these properties is necessary to address legacy contamination which will protect water resources by removing sources toxics and barriers to redevelopment that will provide community benefits such as affordable housing and greenspace.

PFAS Strategic Plan
DEQ completed a cross-media PFAS Strategic Plan and will implement actions required to address PFAS. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals" because they break down slowly over time, and can accumulate in the environment and tissues of wildlife and humans. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to serious health risks. The Strategic Plan is informed by the specific actions set out in EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap. The Strategic Plan was released in July 2025 and can be found on DEQ's web page about PFAS​.

​​​Toxic contamination of fish and water in the basin creates a disproportionately high health risk for tribal people and other people who consume high amounts of fish. Actions to address toxics from entering and spreading in Oregon waters will help recover native fish populations and allow people to eat more traditional amounts of fish without being exposed to disproportionately high contamination levels.

DEQ and our partners are committed to addressing environmental impacts and burdens of historically impacted communities throughout this project. See the above fact sheets under “Projects" to see how each project will specifically benefit communities. ​

EPA grant acknowledgement

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement # 44-02J54901 to DEQ. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the Environmental Protection Agency endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document, as well as any images, video, text, or other content created by generative artificial intelligence tools, nor does any such content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Contact

Ellen Woods
Program Analyst
541-606-0490
Email: WQGrants.Info@deq.oregon.gov

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