Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Mission statement The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is committed to advancing environmental protection and justice for all communities and ecosystems in Oregon, now and for future generations. Vision DEQ is inclusive, working respectfully and engaging intentionally with communities for a safe, healthy environment. Values DEQ strives to embody these values every day as part of becoming an anti-racist agency. - Care: Creating a culture of care where all employees and the communities DEQ serves feel supported, respected and included. - Inclusion: Centering the agency’s work in the voices and stories of people who have been historically excluded, silenced, or denied access. - Justice: Designing work to support communities that have suffered disproportionate harm and achieve more equitable environmental outcomes. - Transparency: Conducting agency policy work and decision-making in an open and visible manner. - Scientific integrity: Fostering honest investigation, open discussion, objectivity and a firm commitment to ethical standards. - Accountability: Taking responsibility for the impact of our words and actions with each other and the communities DEQ serves. - Growth mindset: Encouraging collaboration, curiosity, learning from past mistakes, trying new things, and healthy questioning of dominant systems and status quo. - Joy: Feeling pride in and being passionate about the agency’s work, knowing that work is helping improve the environmental, physical, and economic health of Oregon communities and the planet.