Today, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson released an audit of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Air Quality Permitting Program. Air quality permits regulate the types and amounts of air pollution businesses are allowed to emit based on federal and state pollution limits. The audit found a significant backlog in air quality permits. Untimely permits, combined with a current backlog of inspections, endanger the health of Oregonians and the state’s environment. DEQ should evaluate staffing and workloads among air quality permit writers and provide better guidance to both staff and businesses. The findings are outlined in the audit report entitled: “DEQ Should Improve the Air Quality Permitting Process to Reduce Its Permit Backlog and Better Safeguard Oregon’s Air.”