Union, OR

Low Risk (22/100)

A PlainEnviro-computed score from reported facility/violation counts, not an official EPA rating, health forecast, or population-adjusted rate. See methodology.

Environmental data for Union in Oregon · Population: 26,192

Union, OR is tracked across three EPA datasets covering 3 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facilities, 9 Safe Drinking Water Act systems, and 0 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Together these generate an environmental burden score of 22/100 (Low Risk), calibrated against national distributions for facility density, chemical release volume, Superfund concentration, and water-system health violations.

Industrial disclosures inside the county total 332.8K lbs of reported toxic releases under EPCRA Section 313, while 1 water system carries an active health-based violation in the SDWIS record. EPA Air Quality System monitors logged a median AQI of 23 and a peak AQI of 128 in 2024, with 83% of observed days rated "Good" (0–50).

All figures below draw directly from federal EPA records, TRI self-reported emissions, SDWIS compliance history, NPL Hazard Ranking System scores, and AQS daily AQI summaries, and are not adjusted, weighted, or forecast. A past violation or elevated score does not itself indicate current unsafe conditions; it documents the regulatory and disclosure history publicly filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the most recent reporting cycle.

Population
26,192
TRI Facilities
3
Water Systems
9
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
332.8K lbs

Air Quality History (2020–2024)

EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy (SG) Max AQI
2024 303 (83%) 61 2 128
2023 305 (84%) 56 0 95
2022 283 (78%) 74 4 130
2021 304 (84%) 49 5 170
2020 300 (82%) 57 1 326
2024 Good Air Quality: 83% of days
Unhealthy days: 2
Median AQI: 23

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)

For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Oregon, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.

Water Systems (9)

System Population Violations
LA GRANDE, CITY OF 13,460 0
UNION, CITY OF 2,162 0
ELGIN WATER DEPARTMENT 1,717 0
ISLAND CITY 1,166 0
COVE, CITY OF 550 1
NORTH POWDER, CITY OF 445 0
IMBLER, CITY OF 250 0
SUNDOWNER MOBILE HOME PARK 160 0
FLYING K TRAILER RANCH 96 0

TRI Facilities (3)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Kronospan la Grande LLC 257.7K lbs
2 Hexion Inc. 53.4K lbs
3 Boise Cascade Wood Products LLC Elgin Complex 21.7K lbs

Cities in Union (3)

Island City
Pop: -
1 facilities · 1 water
La Grande
Pop: -
1 facilities · 3 water
Elgin
Pop: -
1 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Union, Oregon?
Union, OR has an environmental risk score of 22/100 (Low Risk), based on 3 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 9 water systems on record. 1 water system have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Union?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Union, OR in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Union?
Union, OR has 3 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 332.8K lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Union?
In 2024, Union, OR recorded a median AQI of 23 and a peak AQI of 128. 83% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in Union?
Union, OR has 9 EPA-regulated water systems. 1 system has reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Union?
Environmental compliance in Union, Oregon is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Oregon state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

What does this county environmental profile show?

This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro Editorial