SalemWatch - Special Session Edition
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January 10 Special Session Starts Monday!
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The 2010 Special Session for the Oregon Legislature starts February 1. This session will last only three to four short weeks, and they will be packed with action. Over the course of the next month, the Oregon Conservation Network will be working on three shared Priorities for a Healthy Oregon, which we outline for you here, in our first SalemWatch for the upcoming session.
With so much to do and time so tight, we will often be looking to you for help. In fact, we’ve already got important actions for you to take, ways to contact your legislators to let them know that the environment is a priority and that you expect them to protect children’s health, preserve our coastal legacy, and build livable communities.
So, welcome to February. Read on and take action to preserve Oregon’s environmental legacy for our children and grandchildren.
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| Priorities for a Healthy Oregon |
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Protecting our Children from Harmful Chemicals
More and more evidence shows that Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many plastics including baby bottles, is harmful to children's health. The Oregon Environmental Council is leading a large coalition to support Senate Bill 1032, from the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, to ban BPA from baby bottles and children's food containers sold in Oregon. The federal government is concerned about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children. Recent studies have reported subtle negative effects of low doses of BPA. Passing this ban would make Oregon a national leader in protecting children from toxic chemicals. Click here to send a quick note to your legislators urging them to pass SB 1032!
The first hearing is scheduled for Thursday in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee at 1pm in HR B.
Creating Healthy, Climate-Friendly Communities
A task force established by the 2009 Legislature has proposed Senate Bill 1059, which would assist Oregon's six major metro areas in developing plans to broaden transportation choices while also helping Oregon meet its greenhouse-gas reduction goals. 1000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Environmental Council represented the conservation community on the task force and will lead the effort to help pass this common sense partnership between state agencies and Oregon’s largest cities to coordinate transportation and land use planning.
Andrea Salinas, Oregon Environmental Council, 971-221-2653
Protecting Oregon's Coast from Oil and Gas Exploration
Last year, OCN helped pass landmark legislation to create marine reserves in Oregon's territorial sea. Now there is more work to do the protect Oregon's special coastal areas: The moratorium on drilling for oil and gas in Oregon's coastal waters expired January 2, 2010. Representative Ben Cannon (D-Portland), Chair of the House Environment and Water Committee, will introduce House Bill 3613 to renew the ban and make it permanent. Several OCN members, including Environment Oregon and Our Ocean, are leading the way in building support for Rep. Cannon's proposal.
The initial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in the House Environment and Water Committee at 8am in HR F.
Jennifer Williamson, Oregon Conservation Network
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| Other Bills to Watch |
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Improving Oregon’s Business Energy Tax Credit As many of you know, Oregon’s innovative and successful Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) will likely see some tweaks during the special session. Senator Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) and Representative Phil Barnhart (D-Eugene) are taking leadership on this issue and we support their efforts to preserve the integrity of this important program.
Investment in new renewable energy manufacturing and generation and increased energy efficiency is critical to spur economic growth, fight global warming, and preserve the unique quality of life across Oregon. Increased renewable energy development ensures that communities can count on jobs, economic development, and a bright future; utilities can count on stable, dependable power; and consumers can feel good about the legacy they are leaving future generations.
To date, more than $9 billion in renewable energy projects are in operation, under construction or proposed. This investment translates into over 8600 jobs; $50 million in landowner payments; and $700 million in property taxes and community service fees. And Oregon now ranks #1 in the nation in green jobs per capita.
While Oregon has emerged as an early leader in renewable energy manufacturing and generation and increased energy efficiency, competition for the limited dollars being invested in renewable energy nationally is becoming fierce.
Any changes to Oregon’s current incentive programs, particularly the BETC, must ensure that Oregon continues to be a leader in attracting clean energy projects that grow our economy, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and address climate change over the long term.
Preserving Oregon’s Groundwater from Over-allocation
"Exempt wells" are wells that can be installed without following the normal requirements for a water right, which is one check to insure that groundwater isn’t being over allocated. Currently, there is no public interest review, water availability analysis or fish analysis for these wells. LC 99 (a bill number will be assigned on Monday) proposes three improvements to current laws:
1) LC 99 reduces the current 15,000 gallon per day exemption to 5,000 gallons per day;
2) LC 99 includes the watering of any lawn or noncommercial garden not exceeding one-half acre under this daily cap; and
3) LC 99 provides the Water Resources Commission authority to require a water right for a new well of this type if the source aquifer is in a ground water limited area or critical groundwater area.
Water Watch of Oregon is leading the way to build support for this bill.
A bill number will be assigned on Monday and the initial hearing is scheduled next Tuesday in the House Environment and Water Committee at 8am in HR F.
Keeping Plastic Bags out of our Rivers and Oceans
Annually Americans use over 100 billion plastic shopping bags which, along with plastic packaging, account for a major portion of our waste in landfills. Even more problematic is that they are one of the top items littering our beaches, oceans, rivers and along our roadways. Plastic bags are detrimental to many animals, especially birds and marine animals, and jurisdictions around the world, including China, Ireland, Bangledesh, Mexico City, San Francisco and even Washington DC, have laws in place designed to limit their use. SB 1009 prohibits the use of plastic check-out bags in Oregon.
The first hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee at 1pm in HR B.
Katy Daily, Recycling Advocates, 503-515-3474
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LNG pipeline fast-track bill returns
The Senate Business and Transportation Committee has introduced SB 1020, a repeat of last session’s controversial bill to fast-track state issued wetland removal-fill permits needed to build controversial LNG pipelines across Oregon. SB 1020 would remove the word ‘applicant’ from key permitting rules, allowing out-of-state LNG companies to apply for wetland removal fill permits without landowners’ permission. Through your help, we defeated this bill in 2009 and now we need your help again. Please urge your Senators and Representatives to vote ‘no’ on SB 1020.
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| Follow the Action – Make Your Voice Heard |
The nature of this session will be fast and furious - from the opening bell to the final gavel - and we will try hard to keep you informed on how you can let your voice be heard. You can follow the action yourself by heading to the Oregon Legislature’s Website where you can find a list of all the bills that will be under consideration this session, sign up for notices of committee schedules, sign up for newsletters of your legislators, and watch or listen committee hearings and floor sessions.
During this special session, SalemWatch will be sent out periodically to Oregonians across the state. Have any submissions? Anything you would like to announce or hear more about? Email ocn@olcv.org or call (503) 227-8073.
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