SalemWatch: Hooray, Hooray The 1st of May
Each week we will update you on any of OCN’s priorities when there is news to report. For the complete list and overview of all of the Priorities for a Healthy Oregon visit www.oregonpriorities.org Senate Bill 80
SB 80 passed out of Committee and is headed to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. The bill would set up a system to coordinate agency efforts to reduce global warming pollution. Agencies would develop sector-by-sector plans to meet the Oregon’s statutory global warming pollution reduction goals and create a new green energy economy. It establishes a deliberative public process for crafting a comprehensive approach that will meet Oregon’s reduction goals, and includes economic safeguards if doing is technologically or economically infeasible. The bill is the cornerstone of our climate agenda, and will be a real close fight. Stay tuned.
House Bill 2186 Oregon’s transportation sector contributes almost 40% of our global warming pollution. House Bill 2186 takes several steps to reducing pollution from transportation, efforts that have been studied for years and have many benefits to consumers and businesses. It would reduce global warming pollution from fuel by 10% by 2020, helping Oregon's emerging businesses that provide lower polluting fuel. It would also improve tire efficiency and the aerodynamics of long-haul trucks, allowing consumers and truckers to save fuel and money. The House Environment & Water Committee passed the bill last week and is on the House floor! Your representatives need to hear from you in order for the bill to survive an extremely close floor vote which is likely next week.
Contact: Jake Weigler, Healthy Climate Partnership, (503) 206-4472 Major Threats to a Healthy Oregon
HB 3411: Tax Credits for Renewable Energy and Efficiency
Status: No Longer a Major Threat The House Revenue Committee proposed amendments to House Bill 3411 about a month ago that considered cuts to Oregon’s tax credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency. That bill, which was moved into House Bill 2472, is no longer a major threat. Thanks for speaking up! HB 2472 makes some changes in Oregon's Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC). BETC has resulted in 2 million megawatt hours of clean energy, attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, and is helping grow Oregon's clean energy economy. However, Oregon's fiscal crisis is dire and difficult choices must be made. HB 2472 strikes the balance between cutting costs and maintaining a very successful and important program. The bill tightens criteria for certifying some projects and reduces the credit for some projects, saving almost $9 million. Even with these changes, we expect BETC to continue to be an effective tool in building clean energy resources. HB 3058: Allow Pipeline Permits Without Landowner Notice
House Bill 3058 changes the definition of applicant under removal-fill permitting to allow agencies and private corporations including LNG companies to apply for a permit to fill or remove material in wetlands and waters of the state on land they do not own without permission of the property owner. This is a significant change that limits property owners’ rights to know whether there is a pending application on their property and inappropriately accelerates development proposed on or in stream banks and waters of the state. OCN has declared it a major threat and is working to defeat the bill. The bill was refered from the House Sustainability Committee to the House Rules Committee.
Contact: Sue Marshall, Columbia Riverkeeper, (971) 506-4617 HB 3072: Bill to Allow Unsustainable Logging Practices Status: In Ways and Means This Tuesday, the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee passed House Bill 3072 and it is now headed to the Ways and Means Committee. This bill would require the Tillamook, Clatsop and other State Forests be managed primarily for timber production, which would result in significant increases in unsustainable logging on these public forests that shelter some of Oregon's most important runs of coastal salmon and steelhead. A hearing on April 21 drew opposition from fishing guides, fish conservation groups, environmental advocates, and even the Oregon Board of Forestry who believe the bill will throw state forest management out of balance. It received predictable support from the timber industry. This is the third session OCN has had to fight this bill, a major threat to the environment.
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SB 596 will phased-in a ban on decabrominated biphenyl ether, a flame retardant commonly found in mattresses and other household products. DecaBDE and other polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are known to accumulate over time in humans, fish and wildlife. Reason for concern: There are safer flame retardant alternatives to deca that some manufacturers are beginning to choose. Contact: Sue Marshall, (971) 506-4617 on behalf of Willamette Riverkeeper and Audubon Society of Portland. 3. Bottle Bill Expansion Headed Back to House Floor
The bill to slowly expand Oregon’s bottle bill, now HB 2184-B, was further amended in the House Environment and Water Committee on Tuesday and is now headed to the House floor, with a vote expected early next week.
The amended bill still includes a comprehensive list of beverages to be added to the bottle bill in 2013, including sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice and similar non-carbonated beverages, and allows a raise in the deposit to 10 cents if and when we fail to make an 80% recovery goal of all containers covered by the bottle bill, the first report of which will be in 2015. However, a key amendment that was previously adopted that ensured that a limited (24 container) return to retail model is maintained if proposed redemption centers are established in an area was stripped from the bill, significantly weakening the bill.
Although this bill isn’t as strong as bottle bill supporters would like, it is an improvement over the current bottle bill and will keep millions of containers out of Oregon landfills or from becoming litter. Contacts: Katy Daily, Recycling Advocates, (503) 515-3474 Kristen Leonard, Association of Oregon Recyclers, (503) 320-9427 4. Dark Skies Bill Moves Forward, Saving Energy and Reducing Mercury Pollution
Intrigued? Read more at the OLCV blog.
At 4 billion dollars, the Columbia River Crossing's fantastic price tag sends a signal that anything is possible in Portland. Join us for a night of dialogue, democracy and drinks to debate our region's transportation future. 1000 Friends is organizing this evening game show style event, hosted by Executive Director Bob Stacey, in association with The Bus Project and Transportation for America's town halls. We'll hear some about transportation funding and projects, have some fun, and spend an imaginary $4 billion in "Transpo-bucks". Speakers include Mara Gross of Coalition for a Liveable Future, Chris Smith of portlandtransport.com, Jonathan Maus of bikeportland.org, and Representative Nick Kahl.
Coming Up...
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| During the session, SalemWatch is sent out weekly to conservation advocates across the state. Have any submissions? Anything you would like to hear more about? Email Melissa@olcv.org or call at (503) 224-4011. |
