Salem—Governor
Kulongoski helped Oregon take a
significant step toward cleaner waterways and reduced toxic pollution today by
signing a clean water bill into law. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Vicki Walker
(D-Eugene) and Gary George (R-Newberg) and backed by Environment Oregon,
requires a statewide assessment of toxic pollution and pollution prevention
planning by some of the state’s largest dischargers of water pollution.
“Oregon takes
a major step toward clean rivers today,” said Jeremiah Baumann of Environment
Oregon.
The bill requires the state Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) to conduct a statewide assessment of the most dangerous pollution
– chemicals that persist for a long time in the environment or that accumulate
in people’s bodies – entering Oregon
waterways. The Department would prioritize pollutants, identify sources, and identify
available pollution prevention and reduction strategies.
Once the DEQ completes their work, municipal sewage
treatment plants that discharge the largest volumes of pollution into waterways
would develop their own facility-specific pollution prevention plans to meet
goals for reducing toxic water pollution.
“For the first time in a long time, Oregon
is going to see real progress cleaning up our rivers,” said Baumann.
