Businesses have long demonstrated their commitment to preserving our state’s environment and natural resources, while also providing critical necessities like energy, food, products and jobs.
Many have acted ahead of regulations to voluntarily adopt business practices and controls that reduce their environmental impacts. Companies remain dedicated to operating in a manner that benefits Oregon’s people and economy while also promoting and improving Oregon’s natural environment.
However, Oregon’s regulated community is taking on more than ever before. Increased stringency in new, expanding and existing regulatory programs are demanding that businesses make costly investments in response to increasingly complex and difficult-to-navigate regulatory schemes. It is important that regulatory requirements do not unduly burden Oregon businesses or place them at a competitive disadvantage, and it is important to ensure that any requirements that are put in place result in actual environmental benefits. This is especially true during a time when we must be focused on creating an environment that supports job creation so that we can put Oregonians back to work and help Oregon families recover from the COVID-19 recession.
Energy and Environment
CHAIRS:
Annette Price, PacifiCorp
STAFF:
sharlamoffett@oregonbusinessindustry.com
- Climate Policy
- Biofuels and Biomass and Energy Recovery
- Chemical Use Laws
- Consistent Regulatory Authority
- Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Fees
- Energy Infrastructure
- Food Innovation
- Forest Resilience
- Franchise Taxes
- Government Procurement Protocols
- Maintenance of Regulatory Application for Departments of Agriculture and Forestry
- Mass Timber
- Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program
- Renewable Portfolio Standards
- Tax Incentives for Extra Environmental Investments
Climate Policy
OBI recognizes that climate change is real, and the business community plays an important role in leading a lower-carbon economy and we support state greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies that:
- Result in actual global greenhouse gas reductions
- Are not used as a general revenue source
- Are focused on positive environmental and economic outcomes
- Are fair and affordable for all Oregonians
- Do not result in a competitive disadvantage to Oregon businesses
- Do not focus on a single sector of the economy
- Address the unique challenges of Oregon’s diverse business sectors
- Are commensurate with the state’s emissions relative to global emissions and goals
- Nurture Oregon-based innovation
- Include adaption and mitigation strategies for long-term planning
- Provide regulatory and compliance certainty for businesses
Biofuels and Biomass and Energy Recovery
Support state and federal incentives to promote use of biofuels and oppose new laws and regulations that burden the utilization of biofuels and biomass and/or energy recovery from otherwise discarded or disposed material.
Chemical Use Laws
Support advancing the safe and responsible use of chemicals, including chemical laws that are based on sound science and recognize that many public health and consumer protections safety regulations are currently in place. When sound science identifies the need for chemical regulations, we support state-based laws that are consistent with federal laws
and not unnecessarily duplicative. Oppose the addition of burdensome, state-specific regulations that do not align with other state and federal regulations.
Consistent Regulatory Authority
Support state-level, consistent, and uniform application of delegated air, water, clean up and energy regulatory and permitting authority. Oppose new or expanded regulatory overlays at the local level.
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Fees
Support regulatory certainty. Support increased fees if increases serve the regulated community. Fees must support workable and reasonable permit programs vetted by industry and processed with clear conditions and timelines to minimize impact on business operations. Oppose fee increases that are not accompanied by proportional increases in non-fee funding, if a program does not meet the needs of the regulated community, or if used for unrelated/non-beneficial state activities or pass through surcharges for other state agency activities.
Energy Infrastructure
Support cost-effective state and federal policies that encourage, streamline, and facilitate the planning, permitting, and construction of upgraded, expanded, and new electric and natural gas infrastructure.
Food Innovation
Support policies that advance Oregon’s food and beverage industry in the areas of research and development/technical assistance, workforce development, distribution infrastructure, market development, and government regulation.
Forest Resilience
Support the role active forest management plays in addressing and preventing tree-related disease, increasing forest productivity, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and providing both commodity and non-commodity values.
Franchise Taxes
Ensure any expansion/increase of franchise taxes demonstrates benefit to consumers to warrant added cost burdens.
Government Procurement Protocols
Oppose the imposition of unnecessary or unduly burdensome requirements on governmental purchasing protocols.
Maintenance of Regulatory Application for Departments of Agriculture and Forestry
Support the current regime wherein environmental activities relating to agriculture and forestry are regulated by their respective departments.
Mass Timber
Support policies that encourage the development and use of mass timber products.
Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program
Support voluntary, statewide incentives that encourage agricultural landowners to keep land in agricultural protection while supporting fish, wildlife, or other natural resource values on those lands.
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Support renewable power and allow increased flexibility within the portfolio with appropriate rate protections in place.
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Support renewable power and allow increased flexibility within the portfolio with appropriate rate protections in place.
Air Policy
CHAIRS:
Tom Wood, Stoel Rives LLP
STAFF:
sharlamoffett@oregonbusinessindustry.com
Consistent Regulatory Authority
Support state-level, consistent, and uniform application of delegated air, water, clean up and energy regulatory and permitting authority. Oppose new expanded regulatory overlays at the local level. Programs must be consistent with the underlying statues and not seek to expand DEQ authority beyond that delegated by the Legislature.
Objective and Consistent Regulation
Support unbiased and prompt processing of state and federal permits and other actions.
New State Environmental Impact Statements
Generally, oppose imposition of new layers of regulatory oversight and permitting, opposing a state Environmental Impact Statements program.
Ambient Monitoring
Support funding further monitoring of state air quality, so long as increased monitoring is not funded primarily on unreasonable fee increases to the regulated community.
State Delegation of Federal Programs
Support federal delegation of programs to the state level for implementation.
Air Quality Statutes and Regulations
Support air quality laws and regulations that Oregon businesses can comply with, that do not create a competitive disadvantage compared to other states, and do not inhibit economic activity without commensurate health benefits.
Exceptional Events
Support policies and proactive requests to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exclude ambient monitoring data influenced by natural events, such as wildfires, to provide a representative dataset to use in air permit applications to ensure industry is not penalized for events outside of industry’s or DEQ’s control.
DEQ Fees
Support regulatory certainty. Support increased fees if increases serve the regulated community. Fees must support workable and reasonable permit programs vetted by industry and processed with clear conditions and timelines to minimize impact on business operations. Oppose fee increases that are accompanied by proportional increases in non-fee funding, if a program does not meet the needs of the regulated community, or if used for unrelated/non-beneficial state activities or pass through surcharges for other state agency activities.
Core Regulatory Programs
In light of limited funding, it is important to prioritize core regulatory programs over emerging programs that increase regulatory requirements and stretch DEQ staffing. Oppose new regulatory programs that are not scientifically supported or do not seek to resolve environmental challenges first through existing regulatory channels.
Water Policy
CHAIRS:
Penny Machinski, Portland General Electric
STAFF:
sharlamoffett@oregonbusinessindustry.com
Consistent Regulatory Authority
Support state-level, consistent, and uniform application of delegated air, water, clean up and energy regulatory and permitting authority. Oppose new expanded regulatory overlays at the local level. Programs must be consistent with the underlying statues and not seek to expand DEQ authority beyond that delegated by the Legislature.
Objective and Consistent Regulation
Support unbiased and prompt processing of state and federal permits and other actions.
Water Storage and Delivery
Support innovative solutions to address increasing competition for scarce water resources that balance the needs of irrigated agriculture, municipal and industrial demand, hydropower, and sustainable fisheries. This includes continued investment in infrastructure for new storage, withdrawals from the Columbia River and other rivers to improve efficiency.
New State Environmental Impact Statements
Generally, oppose imposition of new layers of regulatory oversight and permitting, opposing a state Environmental Impact Statements program.
Effluent Trading/Market Development
Support creation and use of voluntary and equitable trading and market-based options for effluent reductions and habitat improvement.
Ambient Monitoring
Support funding further monitoring of state water quality, so long as increased monitoring is not funded primarily on unreasonable fee increases to the regulated community.
Water Quality Statues and Regulations
Support water quality laws and regulations that Oregon businesses can comply with, that do not create a competitive disadvantage compared to other states and that do not inhibit economic activity without commensurate health benefits.
DEQ Fees
Support regulatory certainty. Support increased fees if increases serve the regulated community. Fees must support workable and reasonable permit programs vetted by industry and processed with clear conditions and timelines to minimize impact on business operations. Oppose fee increases that are not accompanied by proportional increases in non-fee funding, if a program does not meet the needs of the regulated community, or if used for unrelated/non-beneficial state activities or pass through surcharges for other state agency activities.
State Delegation of Federal Programs
Support federal delegation of programs to the state level for implementation.
Core Regulatory Programs
In light of limited funding, it is important to prioritize core regulatory programs over emerging programs that increase regulatory requirements and stretch DEQ staffing. Oppose new regulatory programs that are not scientifically supported or do not seek to resolve environmental challenges first through existing regulatory channels.
Policy Principles 2021
These policy principles will guide Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) as we represent our members and the broader Oregon business community throughout the 2021 legislative session.