The oregon department of environmental quality (DEQ) proposes to prevent, reduce, and clean-up toxic contaminants across oregon's portion of the columbia river basin

The environmental benefits of this project include healthier river systems and a reduction of impacts of toxics on fish and wildlife. This agreement will be funded under the infrastructure investment and jobs act.activities:DEQ plans on expanding education and outreach, providing support to urban designated management agencies and agricultural operations, implementing a comprehensive statewide per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) strategic action plan, and prioritizing and implementing small-scale brownfield cleanups. The completion of this project will be done through the help of subawards.subrecipient:oregon DEQ plans to give subawards to PSP program partners to utilize or build upon its existing competitive grant program, oregon department of agriculture to implement enhanced strategic implementation area planning projects, and the university of oregon rare americorps program for the placement of up to 20 members with rural dmas. Outcomes:the anticipated outputs of this project include 20 education and technical assistance subawards to pesticide stewardship partnership (PSP) partners, creation of agricultural best practice education materials, three conservation plans and 30 technical assistance events, technical assistance to willamette designated management agencies (dmas), clean-up of 10 small scale non-cercla brownfield sites, and creation and implementation of a PFAS strategic plan. The outcomes include reductions in contaminants, an increase in community knowledge and/or engagement, preparation of up to 10 properties for reuse by addressing legacy contamination, PFAS alternatives and the creation of regulatory tools to address and prevent PFAS contamination (in the next 5-20+ years). The anticipated beneficiaries are communities within oregon's portion of the columbia river basin.