Because most businesses and individuals have the goodwill and initiative to protect public health and the environment by voluntarily complying with the laws, DEQ emphasizes education and technical assistance. These cooperative efforts create the best environmental results through pollution prevention and regulatory compliance. However, any successful regulatory program must incorporate an enforcement mechanism to deter those entities that do not take the initiative to achieve compliance on their own. Enforcement is also needed to maintain fairness among those who expend the resources and make the effort to comply with environmental laws, and those who seek to avoid costs of lawful compliance. For these reasons, DEQ remains committed to an effective, consistent, and visible enforcement program, in addition to its collaborative programs.
Penalties cover violations in three basic areas.
These include violations of permits or prohibited activities affecting air quality, water quality and safe handling and disposal of hazardous or solid wastes. DEQ Online is the official web site for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. If you have questions or comments about the web site contact DEQ's webmaster .