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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Haggen adds Ashland store to list of closures ... Attacker's no-show at sentencing leaves victim without closure ... Monical sentenced to 32 years in federal bank robbery case ... Haggen adds Ashland store to list of closures ... Attacker's no-show at sentencing leaves victim without closure ... Monical sentenced to 32 years in federal bank robbery case ... LEGISLATURE Environmental groups air concerns over Oregon fuel program Comment By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Jun. 24, 2015 at 7:36 PM By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Jun. 24, 2015 at 7:36 PM » Social News SALEM — Frustrated environmental groups implored Oregon lawmakers Wednesday not to eliminate a nascent carbon-reduction mandate that Senate Democrats have agreed to repeal in exchange for Republican votes to raise taxes for transportation projects. Airing the proposal in public for the first time, senators on a special transportation committee heard from a bevy of environmental groups hoping to preserve the fuel mandate enacted just three months ago. "In 20 years, I want to feel like we've done a good thing for our children and our grandchildren," said Christy Splitt, a lobbyist for the Oregon Environmental Council and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. Repealing the fuel mandate, known as the low-carbon fuel standard or the clean fuels program, is at the center of a compromise between Senate Democrats and Republicans over transportation funding. It would be replaced with alternative initiatives targeting greenhouse gas emissions, but environmentalists said they're unlikely to match the original plan and won't provide create a market to spur research into cleaner transportation fuels. Oil company representatives said the proposed changes would allow carbon reduction without costing consumers. "We think this program, with the infrastructure created and everything that goes with it, would be a way to get good carbon reduction, real carbon reduction, and is not in effect a hidden tax," said Paul Romain, a lobbyist for gas stations, fuel distributors and other fuel sellers. Even if the plan clears the Senate, it faces a frosty reception in the House, where 19 Democrats signed onto a letter to Gov. Kate Brown saying they wouldn't support a repeal of the low-carbon fuel mandate. "Today's hearing made it clear that the Senate proposal does not live up to the Clean Fuels Program in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and growing Oregon's clean economy," said Lindsey O'Brien, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Tina Kotek, a Portland Democrat. Originally adopted in 2009 but never implemented, the low-carbon fuel standard was set to expire at the end of the year. Legislative Democrats gave it a reprieve over vocal opposition from Republicans. The fuel standard aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks by 10 percent over 10 years by forcing oil companies to reduce the carbon content of their fuels or provide money for cleaner-burning alternatives. Its supporters said it would guarantee revenue for alternative fuels, giving investors the necessary confidence to spend millions of dollars researching and developing them. But it also would raise gas prices — between 4 cents and 19 cents after 10 years, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. Republicans pledged to block a gas tax increase, saying Oregonians couldn't endure both a higher tax and the rising cost of fuel from the carbon-reduction effort. In place of the low-carbon fuel standard's mandated reduction in carbon emissions, the Senate bill would require oil companies to blend renewable resources that are already available and affordable. It would provide money to improve traffic flows, potentially reducing emissions from idling cars, and create a loan program for school districts to convert buses to run on natural gas. It also would provide money for mass transit and electric vehicle charging stations. The Senate bill would hike gas taxes by 4 cents to 34 cents per gallon and raise fees for vehicle registration and driver's licenses by $10. People who work in one of five transit districts — which cover most of the Portland and Eugene metro areas — would have a new payroll tax deducted from their paychecks. The move would generate an estimated $340 million per year for roads, bridges, airports and public transit projects around the state. Some of the money would pay for new projects while much would be dedicated to maintaining and improving existing infrastructure. By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Jun. 24, 2015 at 7:36 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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