Other Legislation:
HB 2534 - Oregon Environmental Quality Act
Our Position:support Bill Number: HB 2534 Sponsor: Representative Peter Buckley and other environmental leaders
Legislative Session: 2009
HB 2534 would have required that state agencies conduct environmental impact statements in advance of major decisions that could have significant impact on Oregon's environment.
Status
This bill received a hearing on Tuesday, March 24 at 3 pm in front of the House Committee on Environment and Water. HB 2534 would require that state agencies conduct environmental impact statements and solicit public involvement before making decisions that could significantly impact the quality of Oregon's environment.
Unfortunately, some state agencies predicted an enormous fiscal impact from having to study and disclose the environmental impacts of major decisions they make, which doomed this bill for the session. With Oregon facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall, a potentially large price tag has been enough to kill otherwise good legislation this year.
We will continue to work with legislators who support the concepts behind HB 2534 to build support for similar legislation in future sessions.
Action Needed
More information
For more information, please contact Ivan Maluski at ivan.maluski@sierraclub.org
Background
HB 2534 intented to bring greater transparency, consistency and accountability to state agency environmental decision-making. It would have addressed the problem of state agencies operating under an often-inconsistent patchwork of rules governing how they study and disclose the environmental impacts of major decisions, which in some cases leaves the public with little or no recourse when poor decisions are made or environmentally harmful actions are proposed. HB 2534 would have helped prevent state agencies from making environmentally damaging decisions with inadequate public input and disclosure and without coordination with other agencies.
Based on the National Environmental Policy Act and laws in 16 other states, including Washington and California, HB 2534 would have ensured that Oregon state agencies make consistent and transparent choices while attempting to meet Oregon's strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting air and water, and enhancing environmental quality.
