Summary of Current Bills
Fired up about this legislative session? We are too! Read on for information about some of the bills 350PDX is supporting and opposing this legislative session.
Fossil Fuel Infrastructure:
SB7/HB 2131- Relating to Safe Transport of Hazardous Materials.
Companion Bills in the House and Senate directing state agencies to adopt comprehensive regulation of oil trains and the risks posed by them. The Mosier train derailment rightly horrified anyone with even a passing concern for human and environmental health. With costs upwards of $9 million, it was a stark manifestation of the inherent risks associated with transporting by rail such a volatile commodity. These companion bills in the House and Senate would ensure that the state fully assesses and apprises the public of those risks, and it further requires that the companies participating in the enterprise assume a commensurate financial burden in the form of insurance.
Chief Sponsors: Representative Smith Warner, Senator Courtney
Committee: House Committee on Energy and Environment, Senate Committee on Veterans and Emergency Preparedness
SB 773 – Relating to Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Projects. (Climate Test Bill)
Directs State Department of Energy to develop a “Climate Test” to conduct reviews for approval of proposed fossil fuel infrastructure projects of statewide significance that analyze the full impacts of the project, including lifecycle carbon emissions & full economic analysis, and compare to goals to limit global warming. The Bill requires the Department of Energy to adopt rules to establish standards and criteria for developing and administering “The Climate Test”.
Chief Sponsors: Senator Beyer
Committee: Senate Committee on Business and Transportation
HB 2711- Imposing a Statewide Moratorium on Fracking
This bill imposes a moratorium until 2027 on the practice of hydraulic fracturing for the purposes of fossil fuel extraction. The effects of this are self-evident and tremendous. Such a measure would be unprecedented at the state level, and it would send a clear, effective message to the rest of the country about the uncertainty associated with fracking, particularly with respect to its connection with increased seismic activity.
Chief Sponsors: Representative Helm, Representative Lively
Committee: House Committee on Energy and Environment
HB 2480 – Relating to fossil fuel infrastructure
Introduced at the request of industry group PAC West, this bill is a frontal assault on the portland city ordinance banning new fossil fuel transportation and storage infrastructure. This bill preempts city, county or other local government from enacting charter provisions, ordinances, resolutions or other provisions regulating expansion of infrastructure for primary purpose of transporting or storing fossil fuels. The bill gives the regulatory authority over such project solely in the state legislature, stripping any local autonomy over this inherently dangerous commercial activity.
Chief Sponsors: Representative Bentz, introduced at the request of Pac West
Committee: House Committee on Energy and Environment
Track the Bill: HB 2480
Read the Bill: HB 2480
Emissions:
SB 557- Clean Energy and Jobs Bill
Set a cap for carbon emissions in OR, requiring companies to reduce their emmisions to meet the cap or buy permits for their excess carbon emissions
Chief Sponsors: Sen. Beyer
Committee: Senate Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources
Track the Bill: SB 557
Read the Bill: SB 557
SB 197- Directing State Agencies to Regulate the Air Pollution from Dairy Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
CAFOs represent one of the most environmentally destructive modes of farming. In addition to their notoriously harmful effects on water quality, CAFOs also emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. Chief among these gases is methane, which by certain measures is up to twenty-six times more potent than carbon dioxide. The U.S. EPA has no program to regulate these emissions, and this bill represents an important recognition and correction of that regulatory blindspot.
Chief Sponsors: None. Bill introduced at the request of Senate Interim Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Committee: Senate Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources
Track the Bill: SB 197
Read the Bill: SB 197
Renewable Energy:
HB 2111- Relating to Solar Access for Residential Real Property
This Bill will prohibiting planned communities from banning the installation or use of solar panels through community bylaws or declarations. Planned communities would be preempted from including in their governing documents provisions which would prohibit the installation or use of solar panels by residents. This would further encourage the use of distributed solar power generation and reduce residential reliance on utility power.
Chief Sponsors: Representative Greenlick
Committee: House Committee on Energy and Environment
