Tag Archives: Solid Waste

Residents worry about eco impacts after Sams Valley fire

Neighbors urge county and state agencies to address possible water and soil contamination from burned plastics. Nearly a full month since PVC-filled trenches were set ablaze on a rural property along Highway 234 in Sams Valley, neighbors of a hemp farm say they have more questions than answers. Officials at the Oregon Department of Environmental […]
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Willamette River Is So Full of Trash the State Proposes to Regulate It Under the Clean Water Act

Only two other states have waterways dirty enough to have earned similar oversight, Willamette Riverkeeper says. The cumulative effect of trash washing into the Willamette River has earned the state’s signature waterway an ignominious distinction: The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality proposes to make it just the third body of water in the nation to […]
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As Earth Day focuses on plastics, a Portland coffee roaster and Northwest recycler team up

For more than 50 years, Earth Day has been used by environmental advocates to raise awareness and support sustainability and environmental protection. This year, the theme is Planet versus Plastics, and organizers are calling for a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040. Ridwell is a Pacific Northwest-based recycling company that collects hard-to-recycle […]
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Methane From Landfills Is a Big Driver of Climate Change, Study Says 

State Library Ed. Note: If you cannot access this story directly from the source, state employees can access this New York Times story HERE via the State Library’s subscription to the US Newstream database. Alternatively, state employees can contact us for access: LibraryHelp.SLO@slo.oregon.gov or 503-378-8800.

Plastic bag bans can increase or reduce plastic use. Here’s why

The idea is simple: Reduce plastic waste by requiring shoppers to bring their own reusable bags. The reality is messy. Plastic bag bans have spread across the nation, but some data suggests that switching to more durable, multi-use bags creates some new problems – and in some cases means more, not less, plastic being used. […]
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Oyster company seeks to revive suit over Tillamook digester

An oyster company in Oregon’s Tillamook Bay wants to revive a lawsuit over the addition of food waste to an anaerobic digester that processes cow manure into energy. The Hayes Oyster Co. accuses the state government of unlawfully modifying the digester’s solid waste disposal permit without ensuring it won’t degrade the bay’s water quality. Source: […]
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Opinion | The Complicated Truth About Recycling 

State Library Ed. Note: If you cannot access this story directly from the source, state employees can access this New York Times story HERE via the State Library’s subscription to the US Newstream database. Alternatively, state employees can contact us for access: LibraryHelp.SLO@slo.oregon.gov or 503-378-8800.

Opinion | How to end plastic pollution for good 

State Library Ed. Note: If you cannot access this story via the link below, state employees can access this Washington Post story HERE via the State Library’s subscription to the US Newstream database. Alternatively, state employees can contact us for access: LibraryHelp.SLO@slo.oregon.gov or 503-378-8800. Scientists have figured out the fastest way to shrink, and ultimately eliminate, the stream of plastic waste. […]
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Editorial: Clean up of derelict ships could cost schools

You know what could sink millions from Oregon schools? Abandoned and derelict ships. There are hundreds of the vessels. They are in Oregon’s rivers, bays and lakes. They are hazards. They can contain fuel. They can contain asbestos, PCBs, lead and other baddies that have no business in the water. They can block other boats […]
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Study shows Oregon Coast gray whales consume millions of harmful bits of plastic, clothing

Researchers analyzing the poop and prey of gray whales off the Oregon Coast estimate the mammals could be consuming millions of small bits of plastic, clothing fibers and other human debris each day that harm their health – and could hurt humans. These microparticles and microplastics have been on the rise in the Pacific Ocean […]
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