DEQ eyes 43% fee hike, seeks public input

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

This year, lawmakers approved allowing DEQ to raise certain fees by 43%.

Now DEQ is having public input on that fee increase.

A full 40% DEQ fee increase (Title V base/emission fees) would hit around 100 businesses in Oregon — including one hospital (OHSU). If you thought near-historic high 8% inflation was bad, how about adding a 43% increase and seeing it possibly passed on to customers.

One problem about raising emission fees too high is that it helps push factories out of Oregon (with strict emission standards and labor protections) and then pushes them to places like China (which have the worst emission standards and labor protections).  Oregon recently lost Columbia Steel.  What factory around the world is picking up their customers?

You can submit comments here — Due by Dec 1st.

You can read more about it here.