VOTE: NO – Died In Committee
Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2018R1/Measures/Overview/SB1508
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2018R1/Committees/SENR/Overview
These bills requires Environmental Quality Commission to establish fee on top of fees to pay to develop and implement a program to reduce public health risks of emissions of toxic air contaminants from industrial and commercial air contamination sources.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
This is another hidden cost on certain businesses that need permits to operate that will trickle down to consumers.
Fiscal Responsibility
This is a stacked fee – a fee on top of permit or fee costs. A reverse of wealth redistribution taking from the state to solve pollution in industrial areas. Allows the department to refuse renewal of a permit to reissue under this bill with the added fees. Allows retroactive collection on permits already issued for year starting July 1, 2018.
SB 1508 & HB 4002 limits total amount of fees collected during biennium beginning July 1, 2017, to $2,000,000.
SB 1541 establishes the collection of fees based on degree of contamination beyond what is the best control available based on equipment and work practice design.
Limited Government
Fees are permitted to be attached to permits on Federal operating permit programs, water quality permits, and fees on emissions of regulated pollutants. The bill is all about collecting the fees, but nothing about how these additional fees will be spent.
SB 1541 – Contaminate levels are based on cancer risk allowing the commission to make law by rule to implement other risk action levels.
None of the bills identify program requirements for how the fees are spent, meaning these bills are revenue producing bills.
Local Control
Assessing air pollution fees on water quality permits will impact the agriculture industry in rural areas where they are not the problem and most like will not benefit.
Free Markets
Places restraints on businesses needing certain permits to operate making Oregon less friendly towards industrial development.
With the proposal to establish “a program and rules to reduce public health risks of emissions of toxic air contaminants from industrial and commercial air contamination sources,” I assume inflation will follow and seniors will suffer.