OFB Joins Suit Against DEQ’s Rules

Last week, the Oregon Farm Bureau joined a broad coalition of businesses from across the state filing a challenge to the state’s Climate Protection Program rules. Mary Anne Cooper, Vice President of Government Affairs at OFB, says the rules promoted by Governor Kate Brown and enacted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are an effort to institute Cap & Trade measures after the idea was rejected by lawmakers. She noted while they are concerned about the policy and what it means for Oregonians moving forward, that is not why the challenge was filed.

“We are bringing this lawsuit because the Governor and the agency overstepped their authority in implementing these rules, they are going a have a significant and real costs on Oregonians, and I just want to highlight that our coalition represents a broad spectrum of Oregon businesses, and Oregon employers who are united in the belief that policy changes of this magnitude, that come with such substantial impacts have to follow our established legislative process.”

Cooper noted while DEQ does have regulatory authority over stationary sources within the state, the agency is going too far trying to regulate tailpipes across Oregon. She added OFB and others tried to engage with the Governor’s office and others to find “middle ground”, but to no avail.

“We know there is a lot of road head, but we are doing this because of the negative impacts on farm families, that this regulation would have and the significant overreach of the Governor’s office and the environmental quality commission and the Department of Environmental Quality in moving the rules forward.  So, we’re here for the foreseeable future.”

Cooper noted a new governor after November’s election could modify, tweak the legislation as they see fit.