Environment Oregon: 2023 year in review
We made a lot of progress for the environment in 2023. Here are some highlights.
It’s up to us to protect our ecosystems and communities from toxic chemicals.
Most of the 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States have been put into use without testing long-term consequences for the environment, or their impacts on our health. We should make sure that any chemical in use is safe, eliminate those we know are dangerous, and stop using any that are damaging healthy ecosystems. And if an industry makes a toxic mess, we should know right away, and they should be the ones to pay for cleaning it up.
We made a lot of progress for the environment in 2023. Here are some highlights.
Energy Conservation & Efficiency
A major chemical company and producer of PFAS “forever chemicals”, 3M agreed to a $10.3 billion settlement with public water utilities last Thursday.
The 2023 Oregon legislative session is officially over– and the Oregon legislature delivered some big wins for the environment.
The Oregon legislature passed the Toxic-Free Kids Modernization Act on Friday. The bill now heads to Governor Kotek.
A bill to phase out the sale of new fluorescent light bulbs that contain toxic mercury passed its final concurrence vote in the Oregon House on Thursday. The bill now heads to Governor Kotek's desk for her signature.
The Oregon legislature passed a bill to cap and monitor toxic emissions from Oregon's last remaining incinerator to promote clean air and healthy communities. The bill now heads to the Governor.