What Common Household Items Qualify as Hazardous Waste?
Many of the products you use in your home everyday can’t just be thrown out in the trash—they need to be disposed of as hazardous waste. When disposing of common household products, they’ll fall into 1 of 2 categories of waste: Municipal solid waste (trash or garbage): This kind of waste, which isn’t considered potentially […]
How to Reduce Radon in Your Home or Business
If you recently had your home or business tested for radon and uncovered elevated levels of the gas inside your building, chances are you were told you’d need to have radon mitigation performed. The results may have left you with questions like: Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is produced by the decay of […]
How Long Does Heating Oil Stay in Soil?
Roughly 4% of U.S. homes use heating oil systems as their primary fuel for space heating, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). While this number is small compared to the amount of households that use electricity or natural gas for heat, residential heating oil sales surpassed 3 billion gallons in 2020, and another […]
Why Radon Levels Fluctuate in Portland, OR
If you’ve had your home or business tested for elevated levels of radon in the past, you might feel confident that your home is in the clear. But your confidence level should depend on how long ago that radon testing took place. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is released when radioactive metals, such […]
What You Need to Know About Asbestos Floor Tiles
Is There Asbestos in Your Home’s Floor Tiles? Was your home or business built prior to 2004? If so, it’s likely that asbestos is present in your building. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that consists of millions of microscopic fibers. There are six different types of asbestos minerals, but all of them provide the […]
The Healthy Homes Bill (HB 2842): What Is It?
During a pandemic, living in a healthy home is more important than ever. But, as the Healthy Homes bill points out, viruses aren’t the only thing that can impact your health at home. The Healthy Homes bill (also known as House Bill 2842 or HB 2842) was presented to the Oregon State Legislature in 2021. […]
What is a Combined Sewage Overflow?
We know – “sewage” and “overflow” are two words you never want to hear in the same sentence. But unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t occasionally happen. A combined sewer system collects stormwater, industrial wastewater and sewage into a single pipe. When it’s working as designed, the pipe carries all of this wastewater to a […]
Is Well Water Safe To Drink?
If you’re thinking of purchasing a home that has a well water system, you might have reservations about whether the water will be safe to drink or use for other needs, such as brushing your teeth and cleaning dishes. But well water can be just as safe as municipal water – as long as you […]
The Highest Radon Concentrations in Portland, OR
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that forms when radioactive metals such as uranium and radium decay. Because it is formed in the ground, radon gas exists almost everywhere in small quantities. While it’s true that most people breathe in small amounts of radon every day, radon gas can become dangerous to your health – […]
Portland-Area Brownfield Sites That Have Been Successfully Redeveloped
If you’re looking to build a new structure in an urban environment like Portland, chances are you’ll be building on top of a site that was previously used for commercial or industrial purposes. With this comes an inherent risk that the land may be contaminated with pollutants or hazardous substances that can complicate your project. […]
