Oregon Environmental Quality Commission Meeting

Minutes of Special Meeting

July 10, 2009
2 p.m.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Headquarters
811 SW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR
Room EQC-A, 10th floor

The following members of the Environmental Quality Commission were in attendance:

Bill Blosser, Chair
Kenneth Williamson, Vice Chair
Jane O’Keeffe, Member
Judy Uherbelau, Member

Vice Chair Williamson presided over the meeting, and all other commissioners attended by telephone.

Vice Chair Williamson convened the special meeting at 2:02 p.m. and gave opening remarks. He ensured that all parties connected by conference call could hear the discussion, and asked Brian Finneran, DEQ air quality planner, to present the agenda’s sole topic.

Brian Finneran gave a brief background, overview and presentation on the proposed memorandum of understanding on field burning between the EQC and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The commissioners discussed the memorandum, and asked several technical and clarifying questions about language in Senate Bill 528, which the agreement references in part.

Counsel Larry Knudsen, DEQ staff and Oregon Department of Agriculture clarified that DEQ will prepare guidance and definitions to address the questions about certain language in the bill when starting rulemaking on this issue in fall 2009. Vice Chair Williamson asked for additional questions or comments from the commissioners, who presented none.

Action:	Approve the memorandum of understanding to delegate operation of the field burning program to the Oregon Department of Agriculture for the two year period ending June 30, 2011, and authorize the DEQ Deputy Director to sign on the commission’s behalf.
Move:	Chair Blosser
Second:	Commissioner O’Keeffe

The motion passed unanimously, with four commissioners in agreement, none in opposition and none abstaining.

Vice Chair Williamson adjourned the meeting at 2:22 p.m.

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