It went down to the wire—in fact, the very last day of the legislative session. The bill in question was Senate Bill 871, ostensibly intended to hold developers and demolition contractors accountable for asbestos removal prior to demolition of residential homes. Among the bill’s most argent advocates was B-W’s own John Sandie—immediate past BWNA president, regular contributor to this newsletter, and member of the UNR steering committee (i.e., United Neighborhoods for Reform, the citywide grassroots preservationist organization with roots in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood). Over a two-year span, John repeatedly touched base with legislators, gave oral and written testimony, and sought support from like-minded residents and organizations in an effort to keep the bill alive and substantively whole as it made its way through a labyrinth of planning sessions, committee hearings, and proposed amendments—finally culminating in the dramatic last-day vote that sent the legislation to Governor Brown’s desk for signing into law.
The new law has the potential to be a significant step forward in reducing residents’ exposure to asbestos during residential demolitions, a prime “hazmat” (hazardous waste) objective in the UNR Demolition/Infill Resolution endorsed by over 40 Portland neighborhood associations. That said, the text of the legislation is unfortunately replete with “may require” clauses, the only stipulated requirement being submission of a completed asbestos survey prior to demolition. Of particular concern are unanswered questions regarding implementation (e.g., What role, if any, will the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) play in enforcing the law? What responsibilities will local jurisdictions like the Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS) be expected to shoulder?) What will be the penalties for noncompliance, and how will they be imposed? Advising DEQ in formulating policies to answer these and other questions related to implementation and enforcement of the law is the DEQ Advisory Committee, which reconvenes in September with (no surprise) John Sandie at the table. Concurrently, John and UNR will continue to push for lead paint abatement requirement legislation via the Oregon Health Authority.
A second end-of-the-legislative-session nailbiter involved House Bill 2007—not because it was in danger of failing, but because it just might pass! Starting out as a relatively innocuous bill, HB 2007 initially required cities to fast-track building permit review of affordable (i.e., low-income) housing projects. But builders and pro-development groups lobbied strong and hard to get the bill amended to require, in effect, that every neighborhood in Oregon be opened to widespread construction of duplexes and other density-increasing dwellings without respect to either affordability or the unintended consequences of increased demolitions of single-family homes in order to free up lots. By the time these amendments were revealed to the public, HB 2007 was already in the Ways and Means Committee and seemed assured of a floor vote at the very end of the session. But UNR, BWNA, and allies quickly mobilized, got the word out, and Capitol offices were soon awash in e-mails and calls from incredulous constituents. Result? The bill never got out of committee.
National Night Out Picnic a Success!
(more photos follow…)