Did you know that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is trying to restore the Climate Protection Program this year?
DEQ needs broad public support to defend and strengthen the program against fossil fuel industry pushback.
The Climate Protection Program (CPP) would require oil and gas companies to cut their pollution by 90% by 2050, and provide ~$150 million of investments into Oregon’s communities. If you thought the CPP was already passed, you’re right, but it was invalidated on technical grounds in Dec. of 2023 due to oil & gas industry lawsuits.
Now, the CPP is on the path to restoration, and the public comment period was just extended until 4 pm on Friday September 27 for Oregonians to chime in with their thoughts about this critical program! If you want to testify in support of Oregon’s cornerstone CPP, but just don’t know what to say, the Coalition for Climate and Economic Justice, CCEJ’s website has a great summary and also 4 letter templates (choose 1) that you can personalize and send through their platform. Take action here.
The oil & gas industry will stop at nothing to derail and weaken this program, so it’s vital that DEQ hear a groundswell of support for restoring the CPP’s essential climate and community protections by the end of this year.