Street Roots • February 20-26, 2015
Editorial
Page 3
Oregon’s environmental policies should be more then paper deep
regon has a proud history of protecting its
wildlife and natural resources.
decades, as did our environmental standards. Yet the
status quo on permits is extended time and time again.
It’s a kind of “pay it forward,” only this is more like “pay
We also have significant environmental
for it forward.”
problems.
In addition to the larger environmental impact, the
The latter is particularly frustrating when the best
water quality of Oregon’s rivers, lakes and streams is
intentions are left to languish under the weight of an
linked directly to the health of our fish and wildlife,
underfunded bureaucracy. We all think we’re doing the
including the resources many families
right thing, that
rely on. This isn’t ju st between business
we’ve done
part, quality ol
The our
water
and government. This is an issue of a
but the problem
Oregon's rivers,
community’s health. A polluter’s liability
festers. ,
lakes and streams Is extends no further than the compliance
■
■
Our story in this
of their current permit, even if it only
linked directly to
edition on Oregon’s
reflects the environmental standards of
the health of our
Department of Environmental Quality is
the first Reagan administration.
a clear illustration of these placebo
fish and wildlife.
It’s the kind of penny-wise and pound-
politics. According to the Environmental
Including the
foolish policy that gets played out on
Protection Agency, Oregon has the
resources many
many fronts. Maybe it’s human nature:
highest percentage of expired state-
families rely on.
the political tendency to be seen tackling
issued, wastewater permits in the nation.
This Isn't Just
a problem after the fact — after the
This, despite having the some of the
damage is done — rather than investing in
between business
toughest water pollution regulations in
the less sensational approach: prevention.
the United States. In 2012, Oregon’s
and government.
It is as true of our environmental
waterways were ranked the 33rd most
This Is an Issue of
protections as it is our education system,
polluted in the nation, according to the
a community's
housing equity and policies around
Environmental Protection Agency’s
health.
homelessness and poverty.
Toxics Release Inventory.
, If we as Oregonians believe in the
DEQ says it doesn’t have the
protection of one of our most vital natural resources,
resources to do the job. The department "
was already navigating a major backlog when the
then we have to support what it takes to ensure its
recession hit, prompting nearly 20 percent cuts in staff
safety. Our DEQ needs the infusion of support, through
and resources. The consequence? Regulations on
fees and government funding, to update permits and
emissions into our waterways that came into effect after assist companies and wastewater treatm ent plants in
complying with the new standards that apply. The
a state-issued perm it was written aren’t being enforced.
values and policies of Oregonians shouldn’t be mere
In some cases, this backlog stretches back to the 1980s.
paper tigers — toothless and underfunded. They need
What we’ve learned about the ecological impact of.. i£
chemicals, accepted discharge levels and water and fish
bite/
consumption have changed significantly in recent
H
that you’ve
w riteopjO hed
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Smart, calculated decisions will solve housing crisis
he landscape of Portlahd is changing before our
eyes. New housing and business developments,
apartment buildings and condos are popping up
across neighborhoods. It’s a brand new era. There’s
money to be made, and lots of it.
Saying all of that, we’re proud in
Portland for what we have been
able to accomplish. Take the urban
D I B E C T O B 'S
growth boundary, for example. It’s
something to be proud of, right?
The idea that we would create an
B y Israel Bayer
urban area with restrictions on
growth to preserve the natural
beauty of our state is something
that is now looked upon as
revolutionary.
What’s unfortunate is that we’ve developed one of the
globes most prized urban growth strategies without any
sort of equity and poverty lens.
There’s no question that one of the gravest mistakes
elected officials and urban planners made is not
creating a regulatory standard for building and
maintaining affordable housing within that urban growth
boundary, especially as it relates to our transportation
and new development in the private market.
Sadly, not much seems to have changed. None of the
growth strategies that I’ve seen to date seriously
attempts to answer the questions of affordable housing.
Never mind that we’re already an estimated 40,000
units short regionally and our population could increase
by 1 million people by 2030, and up to 2 million people
by 2060.
. . We haven’t even talked about the effects of climate -
S
BISK
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Boots. You can
reach him at
israel®streetroots. org
o r follow him on
Twitter @israelbayer.
change and how it will affect the region’s growth as it
relates to poverty and affordable housing. We should. It
will. It is.
It makes me cringe when we as a community put our
own needs ahead of what’s best for the region at large.
You don’tw an t density in your neighborhood? Tough.
What’s more important - having a particular
neighborhood free of affordable, skinny or tiny homes
and a variety of housing options, or helping solve a
housing crisis?
r Some believe there is a way to build more cost
effective affordable housing, as highlighted in the
mayor’s state of the city address. There’s always room
for debate, but that debate shouldn’t come at the cost of
people suffering. When it comes to trying to find a
solution to the problem of affordable housing,
everything should be on the table. We should be
supporting all of our options.
What we need to solve the issue is not more process.
and bureaucracy. What we need are visionary leaders
willing to take sm art and calculated risks.
Airbnb is one small example. Instead of redirecting
money made from Airbnb for real regulations and
money toward affordable housing, where there is a clear
nexus, we simply said that it can’t be done. That’s not
the way the system works. Unfortunately, right now, the
system for building the necessary affordable units
needed for people experiencing poverty doesn’t work,
either. Something has to give.
There is a wealth of opportunity when it comes to
creating more equitable housing in our community. We
have to find a way to get it done.
—
. Christen McCurdy, Sarah Hansell, Sam
Bouman, Jacques Von Lunen
Photegrapiiers Diego Diaz, Kristina
Wright
Canvasser Desmond Hardison
illllliil
S’ ’’’ sSfS! I ssSSi I ;S sss;’™
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....
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