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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 FEATURED » NEWS NOW 1905 Furry House demolished ... Nike shares jump on plans for dividend boost, stock split ... Man was attacked for allegedly 'sexting' roommate's girlfriend ... 1905 Furry House demolished ... Nike shares jump on plans for dividend boost, stock split ... Man was attacked for allegedly 'sexting' roommate's girlfriend ... OREGON SENATE Oregon Senate Republican leader renews call for ODOT director to resign Ferrioli and others said Garrett blew Clean Fuels deal Comment By Taylor W. Anderson The Bulletin MailTribune.com By Taylor W. Anderson The Bulletin Posted Nov. 19, 2015 at 5:12 PM By Taylor W. Anderson The Bulletin Posted Nov. 19, 2015 at 5:12 PM » Social News SALEM — Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli again called on the director of the state Department of Transportation to resign, saying the agency's blunders helped end an effort to repeal and replace a controversial environmental law in June. The issue stems from a high-wire attempt during the last legislative session to gut the low-carbon fuel standard, a gasoline-blending mandate and carbon credit program that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.7 million tons in a decade, in exchange for a higher gas tax to pay for road projects. Republicans had long promised to oppose raising the gas tax if lawmakers voted to approve the low-carbon fuel standard, also known as Clean Fuels. Democrats narrowly approved the program in March, and Gov. Kate Brown signed the bill into law. Lawmakers worked for months in secret with Brown's blessing to come up with a deal including new fuel-blending requirements that oil companies could agree with, along with various investments in roads, transit and electric vehicle-charging stations that would add up to cut more carbon than the Clean Fuels program. After months working behind closed doors with members of the governor's staff, lawmakers from both chambers and parties, and different heads of state agencies, the group aired its Clean Fuels repeal-and-replace proposal during a public hearing in late June, near the end of session. Two hours into the June 24 hearing, ODOT Director Matthew Garrett made an announcement that stunned lawmakers who worked on the package: An estimate on the amount of pollution reduced through a $20 million investment in roads was four times too high. Instead of cutting between 8.8 and 9.8 million tons of carbon through the subsidies, blending and transit projects, the reduction would actually be around 7.23 to 8.23 million tons over a decade. "I'm not sure where the mistake took place," Garrett told the committee in front of an audience filled with environmental groups that hours earlier handed out sandals in the state Capitol, indicating any lawmaker who supported repealing the Clean Fuels program after voting to approve it was a "flip-flopper." Within hours, Brown called off the effort, ending hopes of new major investment in road funding until 2017, as lawmakers have since said they won't raise the politically sticky issue of a gas tax increase during an election year. Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls, at the time called the mistake "monumental." Others, such as Sen. Jeff Kruse, a Republican from Roseburg, questioned whether Garrett made the mistake on purpose because the package asked ODOT to cut money from its budget. Others, such as Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, have supported Garrett, saying the lawmakers were working quickly against a tight deadline and numbers were constantly changing. Emails obtained by The Bulletin through Oregon's public records law show Garrett included in a June 10 email to Brown energy adviser Margi Hoffmann a figure Hoffmann needed to plug into the carbon-cutting proposal. Garrett wrote that ODOT models showed if the state invested $20 million per year in road projects to ease congestion and therefore reduce carbon emissions, the investment would reduce 0.87 million tons of carbon over 10 years. "That gets us there. Thanks," Hoffmann responded two minutes later, at a time when the group was trying to create a proposal that would reduce 7.7 million tons of carbon. Emails show that figure never made it to the deal that was later presented to the public during the June 24 hearing. Emails show Hoffmann updated the new proposed carbon-cutting deal but included an error that would go uncorrected until Garrett would announce the mistake two hours into the June 24 hearing. Instead of showing 0.87 million tons, Hoffmann's updated figures showed if the state spent $20 million per year on certain road projects like improving traffic flow, the state would cut 2.02 million tons of carbon. At the June hearing, Garrett would go on to say even the 0.87 million ton figure was incorrect, telling lawmakers the $20 million investment would actually reduce 0.43 million tons of carbon. Hoffmann, who was former Gov. John Kitzhaber and then Brown's top energy adviser throughout the legislative session, resigned this fall. She could not be reached for comment. Garrett could not be reached for comment on the call for his resignation. Ferrioli, R-John Day, on Wednesday told The Bulletin he hasn't spoken with Garrett since a few days after the repeal-and-replace package effort was ended. The Bulletin first reported in July that Ferrioli was calling for Garrett's resignation. Ferrioli likened the mistake to Garrett "dropping an anvil" on months of delicate work and asked for Garrett to resign because he didn't feel he could trust him. Brown on Wednesday said she would review Ferrioli's concerns, but added that numbers were quickly changing during the effort. "I have to tell you though in the end of session, in the waning days of session, there's certainly a lot of information that goes back and forth between legislators, between agencies, and information is flying fast and furious," Brown said. "I will certainly look at the concerns that have been raised today." By Taylor W. Anderson The Bulletin MailTribune.com By Taylor W. 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