Oregon lawmakers are raising concerns over a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that could potentially declassify greenhouse gases as a public health threat. In a letter spearheaded by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter, members of the Oregon delegation, including U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, and Janelle Bynum, criticized the move as out of step with scientific consensus and perilous to the well-being of Oregonians. The letter, addressed to EPA Administrator Zeldin, pulls no punches in expressing their alarm.
The Oregon delegation's opposition is grounded in the direct experience of their state's challenges due to a changing climate. "Your proposal relies on a Department of Energy (DOE) report written by professional climate skeptics with established ties to the fossil fuel industry," they wrote, as a statement obtained by Senator Wyden's office reveals. Their concern is borne from the economic and environmental impacts of escalating extreme weather events, with Oregon spending an additional $18 million every five years on wildfires, flooding, and other consequences of climate change.
The EPA's proposal would reverse the 'Endangerment Finding', a 2009 determination that legally identified greenhouse gas pollution as a threat to the public's health and safety. This decision, upheld by the Massachusetts v. EPA Supreme Court case of 2007, has long provided the basis for greenhouse gas regulation. With the EPA exploring a reversal of this finding, protections such as clean car and truck standards and power plant rules could also be unwound, presenting further challenges to environmental and public health efforts.
The Oregon delegation has detailed the toll that climate-change-related disasters have already taken on the state. "During wildfire season, smoke-filled skies force our constituents indoors," they report, and the aftermath leaves communities struggling with destruction and displacement. The 2020 Labor Day fires, noted in the letter as a significant tragedy, claimed 11 lives and wreaked havoc on over 4,000 homes, according to Senator Wyden's office. Additionally, heat waves have led to deaths, particularly among vulnerable demographics such as the elderly and those living without air conditioning.
With Oregon's varied geography, from arid inland to vibrant coastlines, the impacts of climate change form a mosaic of challenges. Whether it's coastal communities grappling with the effects of warming oceans and extreme weather or inland towns facing an increase in wildfire activity, the state officials argue that maintaining the Endangerment Finding is crucial to combat these diverse threats. The delegation concludes with a plea to Administrator Zeldin, urging the maintenance of the Endangerment Finding to "protect the health and welfare of Oregonians and communities in all parts of the country."
