Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1997)
Myers takes over as state attorney general ■ OFFICE: The former state legislator plans to focus on keeping kids out of trouble By Charles E. Beggs The Associated Press Former Oregon House Speaker Hardy Myers became Oregon’s 15th attorney general on Monday, and three other state officials were sworn in to begin terms. Myers was sworn in by Chief Justice Wallace Carson Jr. of the Oregon Supreme Court in a cere mony attended by about 300 peo pie in the Oregon House chamber. The attorney general is the chief lawyer for state government. Myers, a Democrat who has prac ticed law in Portland, was elected to the post in November. Ted Kulongoski, also a Democ rat, gave up the attorney general’s office in a successful run for an Oregon Supreme Court seat. Ku longoski also was sworn in Mon day, in a ceremony at the court. Later, Carson gave the oaths of office to Secretary of State Phil Keisling and State Treasurer Jim Hill. They are Democrats who were re-elected to the positions in No vember. Those offices by law are limited to two terms. Myers was a state representative from 1975 to 1985 and served as House speaker from 1979 to 1983. He told the audience following his swearing-in that he intends to make child welfare a top priority. Myers said he wants the attor ney general to play a central role to prevent children from starting down the road to crime. “The stakes involved in that ef fort are no less than the survival of our society,” he said. Myers said the biggest immedi ate issue facing him is interpreting and gauging the effects of a proper ty tax cut measure passed by vot ers at the November general elec tion. Myers voted against the initia tive, but after the election he said he would put his personal feelings aside in defending the new law against any lawsuits. “We’re going to need to be care ful to give sound legal advice as to what the measure means and how to comply with it,” he said. Replacing tanks could mean empty future for small gas stations ■ CLEANUP: Rural stations often cannot afford the high cost of removing aging gas storage containers By Charles E. Beggs The Associated Press SALEM — As numerous Ore gon gas stations face extinction be cause of a tank cleanup deadline, the 1997 Legislature might be asked for last-ditch financial help. Otherwise, says a gas dealers’ spokesman, Oregon could lose as many as half of its 1,800 service stations within about two years. The threatened stations are in rural areas, smaller outlets that cannot afford big tank repair and replacement costs, says Mike Sherlock, executive director of the Oregon Gasoline Dealers Associa tion. A U.S. Environmental Protec tion Agency order adopted in 1988 says tanks in use before 1988 must be renovated or replaced to minimize chances of leaking fuel contaminating ground water. The deadline for compliance is Dec. 22,1998, and not much gov ernment financial assistance is in sight for station owners. “We expect tanks to be the sub ject of discussion in the legislative session,” says Mike Kortenhof, manager of the underground tanks program for the state Department of Environmental Quality. “We expect a lot of requests for help,” Kortenhof says. But the agency did not ask for lottery funds this year. About $6 million in lottery rev enue has helped about 80 stations with grants to fund tank replace ment costs since 1993. But lottery revenue is no longer rising, so the DEQ did not seek any Save $$$58 on Textbooks! Bring your textbook information to Smith Family Bookstore • Author • Title • 'Edition We ll help you find used copies that s will save you $$$ Sell us those texts, paperbacks & magazines you no longer use. Smith Family B o o k s t o r c One block from campus (above Rainbow Optics) 768 E. 13th. (541) 345-1651 funding from that source. A lot of people are just hanging on and praying some miracle will happen that will bail them out be fore the deadline, Sherlock said. He says many Oregonians likely are not aware of the problem and will not be until the last stations start closing down. Major oil companies have up graded tanks at the high-volume stations in major cities. But the $100,000 or more for that work is hard to justify for some rural sta tion operators, Sherlock says. There is talk of extending the deadline, he says, a move the as sociation would oppose. “A lot of people have put their life savings to update fuel tanks,” he says. “It would be very unfair. The die is cast. People have had ample warning.” “[Thej EPA is making clear there won’t be an extension,” says Kortenhof. He says the DEQ is asking for a major increase in the permit fee for tanks, now $35 a year. The agency wants it increased to $60, to raise $339,000 to finance an expected increase in technical assistance requested by tank own ers as the deadline draws nearer. Some sort of fee increase is needed just to stay even in rev enue, because the number of tank permits is dropping as stations close up rather than meet the ex pensive requirements. Two efforts to help finance a large-scale tank cleanup program with public funds failed. Lawmakers passed a measure to finance a program by imposing a new fee on gas deliveries to sta tions. But the courts threw out the plan, saying the fee amounted to a gas tax that the state constitution al lows to be used only for highways. Winter 1997 Environmental Awareness Workshops Oregon Forests-January 10-12 ' v\\ a ciose-up iook at trie environment with an opportunity to study the relationships, concepts, and variety that are present in Oregon's forests. Oregon's Wildlife-January 24-26 This workshop will cover everything from black bears to seastars and look at the unique array of species in Oregon. Park resources-January 17-19 This workshop is designed to allow the participants an opportunity to closely examine the needs, development, costs and management of public park systems. Oregon Coast-January 31-February 2 Study at the edge of the continent to gain knowledge about Oregon's spectacular and varied coastline. Winter Recreation-February 14-16 This class examines the recreational and tourism potential of winter recreation including: snowplay, skiing, fishing and camping during the winter months in Oregon. Cascade Mountains-February 21-23 Explore the Oregon Cascade range while learning I valuable information about the areas plants, animals, geology and history. ' Oregon Water-February 28-March 2 A close look at one of Oregon's most valuable resources. Study the importance of a quality water environment for recreation, tourism, forestry and agriculture. Coastal Lakes-March 7-9 Large and small lakes along Oregon's coast provide an interesting and informative field lab for the study of plants, animals, history and geology. Oregon Rivers-March 14-16 Investigate the exciting riparian environments of Oregon's rivers. Field labs on local rivers expose students to problems, relationships, and opportunities for river activities. All classes are 2 credits, (HDEV 410), Tuition $200 All Environmental Awareness workshops meet: Fri-noon to 4:50pm; Sat-7:00am to 6:50pm; Sun-8:00am to 4:50pm University of Oregon Continuation Center For information call Mel Jackson at (541) 346-5431 or the Continuation Center at (541) 346-4231 l ake flight on a University of Oregon Overseas Program Information Sessions: Russia Jan. 7, EMU Century D 4:00-5:00pm Germany Jan. 8, EMU Cedar E 4:00-5:00pm Term long programs in France, Italy, Germany, and England Jan. 9, EMU Cedar E 4:00-5:00pm Office of International Education and Exchange 330 Oregon Hall, 346-3207 Instant passport pictures to speed you on your way Flattering passport pictures, in full color or black and white, in just 60 seconds. When it comes to your passport, it really makes sense to travel first class. And you can - w|th beautiful color or black and white passport pictures finished in a matter of minutes - while you wait. Our instant passport pictures fully comply with the new U.S. Passport regulations, and they’re good for other official documents, too. Come in soon. We’ll help speed you on your way! gerlach’s CAMERA CENTERS WHERE QUALITY COUNTS Eugene 849 E. 13th Springfield 651 W. Centennial ADVERTISE IN OREC.OM DA I L'Y' EMERALD CLASSIFIEDS! 346-4343
