Environment
Hazardous conditions curtail travel in parts of the state
Snow and ice are hammering parts of the state, while temperatures warm in others, creating a mix of hazardous driving conditions. “It’s a little bit of everything,” said Bobbi Doan, spokesperson for the Office of Emergency Management. “Where they don’t have snow and ice, they have heavy rain.” The office issued a warning to the […]
State doubles rebate on electric vehicles for low and moderate income Oregonians
Beginning this year, qualifying Oregonians will get higher rebates for buying an electric car or a plug-in hybrid. The Department of Environmental Quality announced this week that it has doubled the refund under a program for lower-income buyers from $2,500 to $5,000. Individuals have to earn less than $52,000 a year; the income cap for […]
Some Democrats push to rescue climate plan in Biden spending package
WASHINGTON – A group of congressional Democrats on Tuesday called for preserving the climate portions of President Joe Biden’s stalled domestic spending bill as Democrats in the U.S. Senate rewrite the measure. U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Tina Smith of Minnesota and John Hickenlooper of Colorado, along with Reps. […]
Snow, wind and ice shut parts of 10 highways in eastern Oregon
Early Monday, wind whipped through the Columbia River Gorge as snow fell and ice formed on Interstate 84. The Oregon Department of Transportation had about 20 people working on the freeway east of Troutdale, trying to clear it up. Plows pushed away snow while crews applied salt, de-icer and sand. But that wasn’t enough to […]
With China closed off as recycling outlet, Oregon puts task force to work on tightening laws
Buy a bottle of dish soap, a jug of milk or a takeout container of Chinese food, and you’ll find an embossed triangular symbol of three arrows around a number. The chasing arrows, a relic of recycling laws passed decades ago, would appear to indicate that an item could be dropped in a curbside recycling […]
OSU horticulturist helps Oregonians fortify lawns, landscapes for climate change
Weston Miller is helping Oregonians plant for a future of more heavy rains, winds, droughts, fires and bugs. Miller directs the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, is a master gardener and has been a community and urban horticulturist at Oregon State University’s Extension Service for 14 years. He teaches people to landscape their […]
The tale of Jordan Cove provides lessons in government regulation – and patience
Snap decisions, so often prized, are not always the best. Sometimes the inefficiencies of government and regulation can lead to the right result. Consider the recently defunct – after half a year of suspended animation, and a dozen years of regulatory limbo – the Jordan Cove Energy Project. Go back a generation or slightly more […]
Restrictions on fishing threatened steelhead to remain into 2022
Record low numbers of summer steelhead returning to the Columbia River and its tributaries this summer mean there will continue to be limited fishing for the threatened trout. Steelhead on the Columbia River are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. On Wednesday, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said they would maintain […]
Oregon groups receive grant from EPA to improve air, water quality, food access
The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week it would give two Oregon nonprofits funding to combat air, water quality and food access among low-income communities and communities of color in the Portland area and in southern Oregon. The agency is awarding $14.1 million in Environmental Justice Small Grants to 133 projects nationwide. Just 12 projects were […]
Oregon adopts new carbon emission caps on fuel suppliers, major polluters
At a meeting Thursday, Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission voted for new regulations that require the state’s fuel companies to reduce their emissions by 90% during the next 30 years. The Climate Protection Program would require Oregon’s fuel suppliers to cut in half the greenhouse gas emissions from their products by 2035 and reduce emissions by […]
Hunters, animal rights group raise reward for information on poisoned wolves
The unsolved, illegal killing of eight wolves in northeast Oregon earlier this year has riled up everyone from animal rights groups to a hunting association, driving up the reward for information about who poisoned the animals. The fund grew by more than $20,000 in just two weeks with the addition of thousands of dollars from […]
Haaland promises governors federal help for fires, drought
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland pledged federal resources and cooperation with governors from 19 Western states to tackle wildfire resilience, drought management, oil and gas cleanup efforts and other issues made more difficult by climate change. Speaking at the Western Governors Association meeting outside San Diego on Thursday, Haaland touted funding for Interior priorities in […]