Hot topics in Oregon

Learn about some of EPA's priority work in Oregon.

Columbia River

Congress established the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program in 2016. It was the first legislation to officially designate the national importance of restoring the Columbia River Basin, one of our nation’s largest watersheds.

Lower Umatilla Basin groundwater

Local, state, and federal agencies, including EPA, are working in Oregon’s Lower Umatilla Basin to address sources of nitrate contamination in groundwater.

NW Portland industrial air quality

The Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub is a six-mile-long industrial area on the Willamette River in northwest Portland, Oregon, with more than 600 storage tanks for oil, gasoline, diesel, asphalt, and other liquid petroleum products. EPA is investigating whether these facilities are following operational and maintenance requirements for the tanks to prevent unauthorized emissions of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants.

Superfund

Portland Harbor

Industrial scene showing steel rail bridge across river with industrial tanks and structures along shore in background.

The Portland Harbor Superfund site includes in-river and upland areas contaminated from decades of industrial use along the lower Willamette River. The site was added to EPA's Superfund National Priorities List in December 2000.

J.H. Baxter

EPA is working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to determine the extent of contamination on and around the J.H. Baxter & Co. wood treating facility in Eugene, Oregon. The site was added to EPA's Superfund National Priorities List in July 2025.

Find more Superfund sites in Oregon.

Tribal programs

EPA's Region 10 office serves 271 federally recognized Tribes, including 9 Tribes in Oregon.

EPA in Oregon

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Last updated on December 30, 2025