Legislative Policies for the 2005 Legislative Session

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d. Innovative Approaches to Water Ouality Mana ement Significant future progress in solving the State's remaining water quality Over the next 10 years, for example, Oregon's Phase I cities and Corvallis will spend problems will require innovative solutions that go beyond the traditional more than $10 billion on measures to reduce storm water pollutants. While urban areas "command and control" permit approaches. Solutions such as watershed are a significant source of storm water pollutants, it is estimated that non-point sources management, pollution prevention, and pollution trading will require develo in are responsible for more than half of the pollutants. in water systems. However, partnerships and incentives to achieve effective improvements to water quality.g regulatory requirements focus almost exclusively on discharges from point source and Strict liability and regulatory requirements currently do not allow the urban runoff. implementation of these flexible approaches. The City supports legislative and regulatory initiatives to facilitate development of new approaches to water If the objective is to remove pollutants from Oregon's waterways, then all sources of quality management, such as effluent trading and "green" permits. non-point source discharges need to assume an equitable share of responsibility. Local taxpayers should not be expected to continue funding water clean up while rural non- e• Water uali Standards point sources are exempt from responsibility. The City opposes any efforts to change State water quality standards through the Recommendations, legislative process. The DEQ has established a comprehensive process for evaluating current water quality standards and proposing new or changed 1• Support an increase in industrial wastewater fees and require DEQ to be standards which involves all stakeholders as well as recognized technical experts, accountable as to how the fees are being used by the agency. This process, followed by opportunities for the public to comment, has led to the 2. Support the use of state revolving funds for non-point sources and advocate for Environmental Quality Commission adopting changes to several water quality standards. Future changes to water quality standards, including beneficial use increased funds for the State Revolving Loans Fund program. designations, should be obtained through a similar collaborative process, and not achieved through legislative action. 3. SALMON RECOVERY AND WATERSHED HEALTH 2• POLLUTION SOURCE EQUITY In March 1999, NOAA Fisheries listed the Upper Willamette Spring Chinook as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Upper Willamette Since Congressional passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972, cities and Spring Chinook spends part of its life in the Willamette River, including areas within the industries which discharge effluent from a "point source" have been under EPA City of Eugene. The protective rules for this species, known as Section 4(d) rules, jurisdiction. Authority to discharge from a point source (for example, a sewage treatment became effective on January 8, 2001, and prohibit any activity that harms the listed fish plant) requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. or their habitat. Following legal challenges to ESA listing of various salmon populations around the Northwest, NOAA Fisheries reviewed salmon listings throughout the region, Although this focus on point sources has significantly improved the nation's water including the Upper Willamette Spring Chinook. NOAA Fisheries has recently proposed quality, substantial water pollution continues to result from unregulated "non-point" to maintain the listing of the Upper Willamette Spring Chinook as threatened. sources (i.e., water pollutants with diffuse origins). In its re-authorization of the CWA in 1987, Congress addressed part of this problem by requiring cities and certain industries to On April 10, 2000 the Eugene City Council adopted a resolution directing the City to treat storm water run-off through a series of "best practices." The 19871anguage called support recovery of upper Willamette Spring Chinook through an integrated, City-wide for implementation in two phases based on city population. Phase I called for cities with effort. The resolution directs the City to work in partnership with local, state and federal a population of 100,000 or more to obtain NPDES Storm water permits. By 1995, all agencies to develop regional recovery plans. Phase I communities in Oregon had received their NPDES permit. The EPA is now moving into Phase II, which requires all cities with a population exceeding 50,000 to Recommendations; obtain a stormwater permits. The agency has also authorized Oregon's DEQ to extend the requirement to any city it deems appropriate. 1. The City supports efforts to preserve the ability of local governments to pursue recovery of salmon populations through a mix of regulatory compliance, Officials from Oregon cities have acknowledged their responsibility for maintaining and restoration projects, community outreach and involvement. improving water quality and have developed measures to reduce discharges from city facilities. 2. State and federal salmon recovery efforts should be responsive to and coordinated with locally adopted and developed recovery plans. City of Eugene Legislative Policies, 2005 Session 46 City of Eugene Legisiative Policies, 2005 Session 47