Click here to report odors directly online to the Department of Environmental Quality.

Or, use the DEQ odor hotline: 1-888-997-7888

Odors can often be an indicator of the presence of toxic emissions from industrial facilities. And whether they are toxic or just create a nuisance making it difficult to enjoy outdoor spaces, odors can be a violation of state issued air permits. For that reason, logging odor complaints is an effective means to mitigate negative impacts from industrial facilities in our neighborhoods. The primary information to report is Who/Where/What/When.

If you report on line, the online form will lead you through the specific information you need to provide. But if you choose to call, you will most likely leave asked to record a message.  In this case be detailed, for example this would be the kind of information you need to include:

“Hello, this is Jane Brown. My phone number is 503-123-4567. Today, Monday, December 8th at 3:30pm, I smelled an odor at my house 1234 NW Happy Lane in Portland.  The odor lasted at least an hour, and was so strong it caused dizziness and nausea.  I still have a headache.  It smelled acrid, like plastic burning (these, are common ones: or like paint, or like a nail salon, or like rotten eggs, or like burning rubber, or like burnt toast, or like ammonia, or like gas-unburned fuel). I think it came from the ACME Widget Plant.”

Per DEQ’s new Nuisance Implementation Strategy, you should receive a follow-up from the agency.  It is very important to respond to the follow-up.  If you don’t hear back from the agency within a few days, you should recontact them through the same phone number.

If you live in the Northwest Neighborhood, and suspect the odor is coming from ESCO Steel located at NW 24th and Vaughn, you should use the ESCO complaint service: 503-597-4341, or online: www.escoenvironmentalhotline.com