Bad news from the Oregon State Legislature: State legislators are trying to move forward a bill that would give Covanta Marion (pictured here, photo courtesy of The Portland Tribune) - a trash incinerator near I-5 and Salem that is the state's 20th largest single greenhouse gas emitter - renewable energy credits. Senate Bill 451 would give a major polluter money for releasing greenhouse gas emissions and air contaminants. This would set a dangerous precedent and weaken our state's renewable energy goals, making it harder to build energy that is actually clean and renewable.
The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday, June 18th and now moves to the House. We need your help to stop SB 451 - call your State House Representative and tell them to vote NO on SB 451 to keep trash fires from receiving renewable energy credits.
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Here are some talking points for your call:
- Please vote NO on SB 451, which would award renewable energy certificates to electricity produced by the incineration of municipal solid waste.
- This bill would only benefit the Covanta Marion incinerator in Brooks, Oregon, which emits over 160,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents every year,making it the 20th highest industrial source of greenhouse gases in Oregon.
- This incinerator also emits a wide array of toxins such as mercury, lead, and dioxins, which are unhealthy for nearby people and the environment.
- Oregon's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) is meant to take action on climate by awarding certificates to non-emitting, clean energy sources in order to give incentives to new renewable projects. A decades-old garbage incinerator qualifying for the RPS would substantially weaken it.
- Covanta claims that they were promised these incentives, but that's a load of garbage: the truth is that they missed their opportunity to apply for credits and now they want special treatment to profit off of renewable energy subsidies.
- We have less than 12 years to take bold action on climate change: A “no” vote will reserve renewable energy credits for truly renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar.
- Please vote NO on SB 451.
Thank you for taking action!