Oregon should adopt more such pollution taxes, which could eventually replace many less popular taxes and fund key environmental programs. Currently, Oregon taxpayers actually subsidize polluters that dump their waste into Oregon's rivers. OEC is also promoting HB 3240 to study the disincentives to environmental sustainability in our current tax system and make recommendations on how we can shift toward taxing things that we don't like, such as traffic and waste, instead of things that we do like, such as investment and income. Finally, OEC is promoting HB 3482 which would prevent facilities that repeatedly violate Oregon s environmental laws from applying for state tax credits, grants or monies. On many days, you can't swim or boat in the river because it is tainted with sewage.
Mercury contamination renders many fish in the river unsafe to eat.
The Portland Harbor qualifies as a Superfund site. It's no wonder that the Willamette's salmon and steelhead runs are now listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. OEC is taking up that challenge in the 2001 legislature by promoting, along with several other key environmental organizations, the Willamette Restoration Act package HB 3826, HB 3827 and HB 3828. The act will propose to restore the Willamette through water conservation, pollution prevention, and habitat protection. Since automobiles are the leading cause of air pollution in Oregon, giving people more options is also critical to cleaning up our air.