Oregon Governor Kulongoski Signs Healthy Oregon Act and Toxin Pollutants Bill

Both pieces of legislation will help create a healthier Oregon

June 28, 2007 -- Salem – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski today signed two important pieces of legislation that will both help create a healthier Oregon. The first bill makes a commitment to develop an action plan to help the more than 600,000 Oregonians without health insurance, and the second continues the Governor’s commitment to cleaning up the Willamette River and other waterways throughout the state.

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The two pieces of legislation signed today include:

The Healthy Oregon Act (Senate Bill 329):

This legislation establishes the Oregon Health Fund Board, which will help develop a comprehensive plan to reform Oregon’s health care system and move Oregon toward providing affordable health insurance for every Oregonian. The Governor engaged with legislative members early in the session to ensure that the proposal includes a practical, step-by-step action plan to achieve those goals. The board will deliver its plans to the Legislature for the February 2008 and January 2009 sessions.

“Today, we have new hope for a healthy Oregon,” the Governor said. “This bill offers a much-needed and long-overdue action plan to make health care affordable, effective and accessible to all Oregonians – and now we can move from debating the failures of our health care system – to acting on solutions.”

Reducing Toxic Pollutants in Oregon’s Waterways (Senate Bill 737):

Senate Bill 737 complements the water quality programs outlined in the Governor’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) budget to reduce toxic pollutants in Oregon’s rivers, including the Willamette River. It directs the DEQ to conduct a study of persistent bioaccumulative and toxic pollutants in the state that pose a threat to human health and the environment. By June 1, 2009, the agency must present the Legislature with a priority listing of worst threats, and complete the entire study in 2010.

In addition, the 52 largest waste water treatment plants across the state will be required under SB 737 to submit plans to the DEQ by July 1, 2011 for reducing the discharge of pollutants identified on the priority listing.

“Senate Bill 737 will give the DEQ the tools it needs to reduce the threat of bio-accumulative toxinsin our waterways – which are a real threat to human health and our natural environment,” the Governor said at a bill signing ceremony today. “Under this legislation, the DEQ will identify where these pollutants persist and what we can do to reduce these toxic emissions in the first place. It’s a balanced approach that complements the water pollution initiatives in my budget and will help us clean up our most precious rivers, including the Willamette River.”

Source: Oregon Governor