Oregon PHL/DEQ Laboratories
The Oregon PHL/DEQ Laboratories are the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) laboratories located in a single building in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. DHS operates the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL), and the DEQ operates their Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division at the site. The laboratories previously were located at Portland State University, moving to the new location near Cornelius Pass Road and the Sunset Highway (U.S. Route 26) in northeast Hillsboro in 2007. Built at a cost of $35 million, the laboratories cover on a site. DEQ’s lab is an all hazards facility used primarily for testing air and water samples from around the state. The OSPHL operates a biosafety level 3 lab onsite. OSPHL mainly conducts screenings of newborn baby blood samples from a six state region, and testing for and investigations of infectious diseases. The combined facility has around 160 employees. History In 1903, the state government created the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory. The state created State Sanitary Authority in 1938 as part of the State Board of Health, with the Sanitary Authority becoming an independent agency in 1969 as the Department of Environmental Quality. Originally located at