Monica Samayoa
Monica Samayoa is an award-winning climate and environmental journalist.
Her work has covered how communities in Southern Oregon continue to recover from wildfires, as well as the decades of groundwater pollution in Eastern Oregon and its impacts to the communities. She's also closely examined how urban planning in Portland makes heat domes particularly deadly for marginalized communities. Recently, she’s been covering the clean energy transition, climate solutions & adaptations and environmental justice.
Before OPB, Monica was an on-call general assignment reporter at KQED in San Francisco. In 2017 she studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, where she attended the University of Technology Sydney to finish her degree. There, she was able to get her first taste of radio while producing and hosting for 2SER, Sydney Educational Radio.
Monica holds a bachelor's degree in broadcast and electronic communication arts from San Francisco State University.
In her free time, Monica likes to spend time with her family and friends and travel to the world. So far she has traveled to 17 countries.
Latest Stories
Potato processor, Oregon regulators reach settlement over wastewater violations
Lamb Weston has agreed to pay $143,400 for wastewater violations from its Hermiston potato processing plant that added 220 tons of nitrates to a region already burdened with groundwater pollution.
Oregon’s popular EV rebate program will reopen later this year, but only for a couple of months
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is getting ready to reopen its popular Oregon Clean Vehicles Rebate program, but only for a limited time because the program's funds are limited.
Federal government finalizes floating offshore wind areas off the Oregon Coast
The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Tuesday two final floating offshore wind energy areas off the coast of Coos Bay and Brookings.
Portland could backfill budget gaps with funds voters designated for climate response
The Portland Clean Energy Fund committee has recommended spending hundreds of millions of dollars on climate-related city programs. Some commissioners want to change city code so they can spend on other priorities
Portland bureaus seek to fill budget gaps from climate fund, as committee concerns arise
With city bureau budgets due in mid-February, Portland officials are looking to the city’s clean energy fund to help fill financial gaps and ensure the spending fulfills the clean energy funds’ intent.
Port of Morrow continues to apply excess nitrates on farmland, misses payment deadline
The port is set to pay the Oregon Health Authority $2 million over the next two years through the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Supplemental Environmental Projects. It completed the first payment of $1 million on Friday, almost a month after the payment’s due date.
DEQ to start over with Climate Protection Program after Oregon Court of Appeals decision
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will restart a rulemaking process for the Climate Protection Program after a ruling in December by the Oregon Court of Appeals invalidated the program.
Climate-friendly homes offer Grand Ronde’s tribal elders affordability and comfort against climate change
A partnership between the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Energy Trust of Oregon is leading the way in overcoming two issues at once — the affordable housing shortage and high greenhouse gas emissions.
Many Oregonians living in state’s hottest homes lack cooling devices, study shows
The Oregon Department of Energy's Cooling Needs Study found that 58% of residents living in mobile homes, recreational vehicles, publicly supported housing and agricultural workforce homes lack cooling devices to keep them safe in extreme heat.
Lacking information, Oregon residents guess at future of offshore wind
South Coast residents are attempting to study offshore wind projects on their own. Some are calling for a pause in development as a federal agency fails to convey its message.