Just got another e-mail back on this, they seem to have changed it a bit. I'm curious to see how this all pans out.
February 17, 2009
Dear Mike Goodhart,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about House Bill 2186. Your feedback is important to me and helps inform the actions I take in the Legislature.
As you may be aware, HB 2186 is a part of Governor Kulongoski’s effort to raise environmental standards in over state and limit carbon emissions.
The intent of section (3)(1)(d) is to allow the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission to set standards for certain replacement parts that can increase greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, not to ban parts. The standards would apply to both after-market products as well as original parts to the vehicle. The rules would be designed to prevent a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions from replacement parts while still ensuring a full range of consumer choice in products. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) does not expect this to affect a large number of products. The proposal is modeled after similar changes in states like California to improve, not ban, automotive parts.
In their testimony before the House Environment and Water Committee, DEQ made clear their commitment to amend the bill with new language to be written in cooperation with the Northwest Automotive Trades Association, the Automobile Aftermarket Industry Association and others to clarify their intent.
Thanks for writing me. It is an honor representing you in the Oregon House of Representatives and I hope you will continue to write me about issues that are important to you.
Sincerely,
Dave Hunt
State Representative
Speaker of the House
http://www.state.leg.or.us