Environmental Quality Commission Agenda

Agenda for the 372nd regular meeting
of the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission

DEQ’s headquarters, 10th floor, room EQC-A
811 SW 6th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

 

Wednesday, March 20 – Regular meeting: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

B.    Informational item: Meeting with Department of State Lands Director Mary Abrams
Director Abrams will meet with the commissioners as part of the regular meeting and discuss coordination between DEQ and the Department of State      Lands. Director Abrams was appointed in October 2012, and this is her first meeting with the commission as the DSL director.
[Staff report]

C.     Informational item: Budget and legislative updates
DEQ staff will present updates about budget developments and legislative matters for the agency and state.
[Staff report]

1.    Action item: Certification of DEQ’s budget
DEQ staff will present the 2013-15 Governor's Balanced Budget for commission certification. The EQC chair must certify all DEQ request budgets, per state law.
[Staff report and attachments]

D.    Action item: Refunding of selected DEQ pollution control bonds
DEQ staff will present a proposal that would authorize DEQ to hold a bond sale that would effectively pay off higher-interest rate bonds and allow DEQ to purchase lower-interest rate bonds to support the Orphan Site Cleanup program.
[Staff report and attachments]

E.    Informational item: Annual financial report
DEQ staff will present the agency’s annual financial report for the commission’s review and information.
[Staff report and attachments]

I.    Informational item: Recognition for DEQ’s 2012 Gold Star Certificate in accounting
The commission will recognize DEQ’s accounting staff. For the 18th year in a row, DEQ received the Oregon Chief Financial Officer’s Gold State Certificate for its accounting excellence.
[Staff report and attachment]

L.    Action item: EQC and Board of Forestry coordination and liaison position
Director Pedersen will present a proposal to create a formal liaison position between the commission and the Oregon Board of Forestry. The proposal is part of an overall plan, designed by the two agencies and their respective boards, to enhance coordination among the parties when regulatory authorities overlap for Oregon’s forest lands.
[Staff report and attachment]

Lunch and executive session
Commissioners and DEQ Director Pedersen will meet for a working lunch and executive session from approximately noon to 1:30 p.m. The commissioners will discuss the results of the annual review for Director Pedersen. The session will be held pursuant to ORS 192.660(2) (i).

G.    Informational item: Best practice and environmental opportunities for Oregon’s nurseries
Representatives from the Oregon Association of Nurseries and Oregon Environmental Council will present an update on the partnership between the two agencies. In 2010, the two organizations launched the Climate Friendly Nurseries pilot project, which provided best management practices and technical assistance to Oregon nurseries working to reduce their water use and improve their environmental practices.
[Staff report]

H.    Action item: Review of Director Pedersen’s transactions
DEQ staff will present Director Pedersen’s annual transactions for review and approval, per state and agency accounting policy and law.
[Staff report and attachments]

J.    Informational item: Recognition for DEQ’s contributions to the Oregon Charitable Fund Drive
The commission will recognize DEQ’s employees for their donations to the 2012 Oregon Charitable Fund Drive. DEQ received its third-annual award for the highest per-capita funds raised for Oregon state agencies its size.
[Staff report]

K.    Informational item: Mid-Columbia water quality sampling project
DEQ will show and discuss a recent-aired television segment from Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Field Guide program that featured the lab’s water quality sampling and analysis of the mid-Columbia River.
[Staff report]

F.    Action item: Proposed rule adoption for federal National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants and New Source Performance Standards
DEQ staff will present proposed rule adoptions for the Air Quality Division’s NESHAP and NSPS programs. The proposed rules reflect recent updates to federal air quality rules.
[Staff report and attachments]

M.    Informational item: Portland Harbor update
DEQ will present a status update on the cleanup of Portland Harbor, a federal Superfund site.
[Staff report]

There is no document for this item
N.    Informational item: Commissioner reports
Commissioners will present verbal updates on their activities and projects of interest and relevancy to the commission.

The commission will recess at approximately 5 p.m. Commissioners and some DEQ staff may attend an informal, optional and self-pay dinner in downtown Portland on Wednesday evening. No commission business will be held during dinner. Public meeting law requires notice of this dinner.



Thursday, March 21 – Regular meeting: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

There is no document for this item
O.    Public forum
At 8:30 a.m., the commission will open public forum. This item is scheduled for 60 minutes, but time allotted may be extended or shortened at the commission’s discretion. People may present comment in-person or remotely by teleconference call at one of several DEQ offices across the state. No comments may be presented on DEQ rulemakings for which the public comment period has closed. All people wishing to comment must complete request-to-speak forms and the commission may limit times based on the number of people wishing to comment.

People wishing to present comment by telephone may do so at the Bend or Medford DEQ offices.

2.     Action item: Proposed temporary rules for the 401 Certification program
DEQ staff will present temporary rule corrections for commission action. The proposed temporary rules would correct an ambiguity in the applicable dates of the fee tables in permanent rules adopted in October 2012 for the 401 Water Quality Certification Program. If adopted, the temporary rules would expire July 30, 2013, as the approved permanent rules take effect July 31, 2013.
[Staff report and attachment]

P.    Informational item: Director’s dialogue
Director Pedersen will present written and verbal updates on DEQ activities and projects of interest to the commission.
[Staff Report]

The commission will adjourn its regular meeting at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Executive session
Commissioners and some DEQ staff will meet with Oregon Department of Justice staff for an executive session from approximately 10:30 a.m. to noon. The session will be held pursuant to ORS 192.660(2) (h).

2013 EQC meetings
June 19-20, 2013: Location TBD
Aug. 21-22, 2013: Location TBD
Oct. 16-17, 2013: Location TBD
Dec. 11-12, 2013: Portland

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