Oregon Enacts Legislation to Maintain Obama-Era Air and Water Standards

On May 22, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed legislation that would enshrine Obama-era protections for air and water under Oregon law and limit the impacts of federal efforts to weaken existing environmental standards. The Oregon Environmental Protection Act, signed by Governor Brown, requires Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality and Health Authority to adhere to a “baseline federal standard” of protections in place as of January 2017 under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act. In announcing the proposed legislation last October, Governor Brown highlighted the clean air and clean water accomplishments Oregon has enjoyed since the 1970s and encouraged other states to consider similar legislation.