OEC's Legislative Accomplishments

Over 40 years of finding common ground, engaging Oregonians, and creating strong environmental policy.

1968 

Passed Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Bill.

1969  

OEC has first full-time environmental advocate and legislative lobbyist work­ing in Salem.

1971

Led citizen support that passed Oregon’s bottle bill, the first in the nation.

1973  

Helped pass SB 100, Oregon’s land use planning law.

1977

Secured nation’s first ban on certain ozone-depleting chemicals.

1980  

Crater Lake Wilderness Area bill is adopted with OEC's support: established ecologically-based boundary adjustments resulted in additional 22,890 acres to the park and ac­counted for natural topography in the design of Crater Lake National Park.

1981

Passed Oregon’s Safe Drinking Water Act.

1983  

Passed Oregon’s law guaranteeing curbside recycling.

Passed first legislation in the nation to set pollution standards for wood stoves.

1987

Created Oregon Superfund Program and the Governor’s Watershed Enhance­ment Board (GWEB,) now known as Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board).

1989  

Passed Oregon Groundwater Protection Act.

1991 

Secured toughest law in the nation regulating cyanide heap-leach mining.

Secured the nation’s first law requiring state agencies to minimize pesticide use.

1999  

Passed Pesticide Right to Know Law guaranteeing public access to data about all commercial pesticide use in Oregon. Only the third such law in the nation.

2003

Passed a first-of-its-kind tax incentive for insurance companies to offer Pay-as-You-Drive (per-mile) auto insurance. When available, PAYD insurance will offer drivers more control over driving expenses and provide a strong financial incentive to drive less.

2005

Passed legislation banning two toxic flame retardants that contaminate women’s breast milk.

2007

Passed Climate Change Integration Act which set aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals into statute and established a statewide Global Warming Commission.

Passed Renewable Fuels Standard to promote the development of local, sus­tainable biofuels.

Succeeded in phasing out the Pollution Control Tax Credit, which provided taxpayer money to companies simply for their compliance with environmental laws.

Supported creation of an Oregon Environmental Justice Task Force, which now advises state agencies on how to protect all communities from pollution, enact laws equitably, and involve traditionally under-represented communities in reviewing agency actions. Passed low-carbon fuel standard requiring transportation fuel providers to do their fair share to slow global warming. Under the standard, petroleum providers must reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the fuel mix they sell into Oregon by 10% by 2020.

2009

Passed legislation requiring K-12 schools and community colleges to utilize integrated pest management, a least-toxic pest management strategy that effectively controls indoor and outdoor pests.

Passed legislation that ensures all highly polluting diesel school buses will be replaced or retrofit by 2017, protecting kids from asthma attacks and long-term health threats triggered by diesel exhaust. 

Helped pass legislation banning a third toxic flame retardant (first two banned in 2005).

Secured policies that will change the way Oregon plans and builds its transportation system, including development of a least-cost planning model, a requirement that the Portland region adopt land use and transportation measures that reduce greenhouse gases, and incorporation of environmental performance standards into design and construction of all state highway construction projects. 

2010

Helped pass legislation setting the stage for all six of Oregon's major urban areas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through advanced transportation and land use planning.