Chemical Legislation in Oregon
Senate Bill 737 (Persistent Pollutants)
In 2007, Oregon passed Senate Bill 737, which requires the Department of Environmental Quality to develop a list of priority persistent bioaccumulative toxics (the Priority Persistent Pollutant List) that have a documented effect on human health, wildlife, and aquatic life.
Information on SB 737
In October 2009, the Department issued a final Priority Persistent Pollutant List of 118 pollutants, divided into Tier 1 (persistent pollutants) and Tier 2 (legacy persistent pollutants).
Priority Persistent Pollutant List
Report on List
In June 2010, the Environmental Quality Commission issued a rule establishing the “initiation levels” of persistent pollutants in municipal permittees' wastewater which, if exceeded, will require the permittee to prepare a reduction plan.
In June 2010, the Department submitted a progress report to the Legislature identifying sources of pollutants.
Cover memo
Executive summary
In June 2011, the Department issued a Fact Sheet on the outcomes of working with municipal wastewater treatment facilities to sample treated effluent for listed persistent priority pollutants. The Department reported that only five pollutants occurred above the threshold levels: arsenic, beta-sitosterol, pyrene, cholesterol and coprostanol. Five municipalities must each develop a pollutant reduction plan for one of arsenic, beta-sitosterol, and pyrene. The Department suspended reduction requirements for cholesterol and coprostanol due to limited information about toxicity and lack of feasible pollution prevention or treatment options.
Fact Sheet on Implementation (June 2011)
Restrictions on Flame Retardants
In 2005, the Oregon legislature enacted restrictions on the use of certain flame retardants. Effective January 1, 2006, the law prohibits the introduction into commerce, or delivery for introduction into commerce, of products containing 0.1% or more by mass of penta-BDE or octaBDE.
In 2009, the legislature enacted restrictions on the use of deca-BDE. Effective January 1, 2011, the law prohibits the introduction into commerce, or delivery for introduction into commerce, of any product containing 0.1% or more by mass of deca-BDE.