[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6126890,"mediaKeyId","2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9","parentId",2665389,"title","Bill would exempt some battery-powered 5-gallon sprayers from pesticide licensing; ODA urges standards and enforcement safeguards","audioSeconds",282,"startMs",610150,"endMs",893030,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9&start=610&end=893","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9/thumbnail_610150.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6126890/Oregon/Bill-would-exempt-some-battery-powered-5-gallon-sprayers-from-pesticide-licensing-ODA-urges-standards-and-enforcement-safeguards","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126890-bcfc91571a007989ff85741fbace1ca6/orig.mp4?Expires=1772958414&Signature=djcdvcUK7mJSLQbnXMLWIF4X3QwZlSdN5PRlZNZwcn3VvZ67O8ZVRCJnSSeQuEPOUjhW~3ItK~bRU-tIUPNt87xXNe63M085KDX3rhjpODMc2LndC2eKYL~plJraojBevEXfSrucN66MO8ZCGfC~IblSH5073RvkYcNEZUqZbKZAEawa0F-rv~pghxz8yrdRq2bAfzHL-uFp4gPEl00PI7lhum26ga83~0JxPh64ClP-cZUnjcp5kZG7cGfuqdR-AezybtZyWkPOIisqW3GUUDmRnXkL2sQo2pRlEtzLlgqySCjmyKwOTNlRAaWGdkWynhma4HuwKmmeU73f4VE0eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 360, introduced March 17 to the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, would create a licensing exemption for certain employees using battery‑powered handheld or backpack devices that apply pesticides (limited to five gallons) and would require the Oregon Department of Agriculture to develop training materials and standards for safe use.

Senator David Brock Smith, the bill sponsor, said the change is aimed at parity between manual pump backpack sprayers and newer battery‑powered sprayers used by municipal groundskeepers and small operators. He told the committee the statutory language was written before battery‑operated backpack sprayers were widely available and described the bill as a modernization to reduce physical strain and program costs for small municipalities.

Tim Gross, groundskeeper for the City of Myrtle Point, testified he uses a five‑gallon hand pump backpack sprayer and sought the exemption so he could switch to a battery‑powered model that “uses DEWALT batteries” and would be an “ergonomic plus.” Gross said the battery units use the same volume and application method as his manual sprayer.

Jonathan Sandow, Deputy Director at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, told the committee that current pesticide law treats a transition from a manual backpack sprayer to a powered device as a move to “machine‑powered” equipment, which under existing rules requires a license. Sandow emphasized that “the pesticide label is the law” and that general‑use pesticides (sold to consumers) differ from restricted‑use pesticides that require licensed applicators. He said training, the type of pesticide used, and the site of application determine licensing needs.

Several senators questioned whether the bill would change the underlying safety obligations or the pesticide label requirements; Sandow and others said label compliance remains mandatory regardless of licensing. The bill’s text also requires the Department of Agriculture to “develop standards and materials for training individuals to safely apply these pesticides using the battery powered [devices],” a point Senator Brock Smith emphasized as an added safeguard.

What the hearing did not decide: The committee did not take a vote or adopt amendments on SB 360 during the March 17 hearing.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Energy and Environment 03/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 360 would create a pesticide‑licensing exemption for certain employees using battery‑powered backpack or handheld sprayers of five gallons or less and would require the Oregon Department of Agriculture to produce training standards, proponents and agency staff told the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment on March 17.","taxTitle","Energy and Environment, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17629,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":42,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126895,"Supporters tell Senate committee SB 688 would push utilities toward performance-based regulation",42225,324625,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9&start=42&end=324","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9/thumbnail_42225.jpg","/articles/6126895/Oregon/Supporters-tell-Senate-committee-SB-688-would-push-utilities-toward-performance-based-regulation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126895-7ec4d5ddeac60eca1907fda867f466e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1772958414&Signature=j1gWG1DyOAiln8Fz2p7e0kS5WRBkF09wyYhCimA7lqJwBRKSiHtuyBH~NFfs5XihjO5xXEnux71z1KoDCbJZUkQOf8-XkEVSZT-0dk3KFgTKfrSoLgqCsePJG7XdWvmkpXmPYKBO4Xqdu9LWLnVeCzt8kHVyO8bH-sAVPbBFElurSqN3jmyaKrunfZEgg8TtpzG1m9DkA1-5OeznwiCuPnU4873sUI5KwGKwlRbIMgpNb529l~I85XgR6VhmfBaVizSXfaXhrbdoGYOzBrthcsH2aTZvllcUpULf5lCfU3AaDnb42XGpJ49spV0ZMG3B~1kcM0ZRf5KviamsAfcgoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 688 would direct the Oregon Public Utility Commission to adopt a framework, by Jan. 2, 2027, for performance-based regulation of electric utilities, and proponents told the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment on March 17 that the change is needed to align utility incentives with customer and clean-energy goals.

The bill, as summarized for the committee, includes several proposed amendments: a “-1” amendment that makes certain required actions permissive and would appropriate $1,500,000 from the General Fund; a “-2” amendment that is similar but appropriates $500,000; and a “-3” amendment that would limit the act to electric companies.

Why it matters: Supporters said Oregon’s traditional cost-of-service regulation bases utility returns on capital investments, which can slow adoption of lower-cost, customer-owned resources and delay interconnection of third‑party solar and storage. Angela Crowley Cook, executive director of the Oregon Solar and Storage Industries Association (OSEA), told the committee, “Our current system is broken and performance based rate making is really the only way to ensure that our investor owned utilities are putting customers first and complying with Oregon's law in the fastest and most cost efficient way.”

OSEA and others urged stronger language and said the commission should be required rather than permitted to adopt a performance framework. Crowley Cook gave the example of virtual power plants — programs that aggregate rooftop solar and batteries to reduce peak demand — and said utilities have left such programs in pilot phases for years because the current regulatory incentives do not reward timely deployment.

Dr. Pat De Laquille, an energy systems modeler testifying for Mobilizing Climate Action Together (MCAT), said the traditional model “creates a strong financial incentive for utilities to prioritize spending on infrastructure and their own spending in particular because that's what's tied to their rate of return.” He said that creates preferences for building utility‑owned generation and pole‑and‑wire projects instead of lower‑cost alternatives such as demand response and behind‑the‑meter resources.

Committee procedure: Chair Solomon opened the hearing on SB 688 and closed testimony for the day after multiple witnesses. The record for SB 688 was left open through 3 p.m. on the next Wednesday for submission of written materials, as stated on the record.

What was not decided: The committee did not take a formal vote on SB 688 during the hearing. The testimony reflected industry and clean-energy advocates’ differing views about how prescriptive the commission’s obligations should be and how much legislative direction or funding is appropriate.

Looking ahead: Supporters asked the Legislature to give the commission a clear statutory direction and, if possible, stronger mandatory language. Opponents or other stakeholders did not present in the hearing; the record remains open for additional written input.

","Witnesses told the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment that Senate Bill 688 would require the Oregon Public Utility Commission to design a performance-based regulatory framework for electric utilities by Jan. 2, 2027; testimony cited interconnection delays for rooftop and community solar and urged stronger mandates and funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126883,"Committee pauses SB 221 work session while members seek clearer limits on fish incubation nurseries",1480,2696010,4176070,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9&start=2696&end=4176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9/thumbnail_2696010.jpg","/articles/6126883/Oregon/Committee-pauses-SB-221-work-session-while-members-seek-clearer-limits-on-fish-incubation-nurseries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126883-23696a8e3f51edb6e1ab91eaf82feebb/orig.mp4?Expires=1772958414&Signature=UimX6k60Ib57l~VzvOXNsxgit4Vrp60ITogk7h77R3grJw9XZV8MBxSUjDulGigeWImb7MHivw3MvCOWmtbxGv~N7lmhHQcHmfT2jlg5HDAkkP7JKOj8W3f9ihFQbBrEdw8X3ORe507C72CSpGU~KQPSYYxsYKNn9AWepRjTu7wJIyTFmzWeTv2EonZCkYu~FNmPUloFFpOVIGBcZxGRlLdFlD0qZ-kmYtnvRUHKqsDWcqYk3d8FnLIw9ElbA3CblEcUL2WMMsWl-Ab1Pfc2EaB7Mlszh3UGI8esqNI5Bz6gu5Vd14wwmys-zHvPum80QrBO1rqsQ~xmG0Rmzvm8tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 221 (dash‑4 amendment) would direct the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to encourage entities to establish and fund fish incubation nursery projects to rear salmonids in Coos County and to report back to the Legislature by Sept. 15, 2026. The committee heard March 17 that the dash‑4 amendment focuses on fall Chinook rearing, uses third‑party funding for incubators, and anticipates minimal fiscal impact to ODFW.

Deputy Director Sean Clements of ODFW joined the committee remotely to answer detailed questions about the department’s role. Clements said the dash‑4 amendment was intended to leverage the Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) infrastructure and local partnerships in Coos County. He told senators the department’s involvement would include broodstock and egg collection in cases where ODFW already conducts those activities, providing technical review and assistance on study design, and limited oversight — functions the department expects to absorb within existing resources for the fall Chinook work described in testimony.

Senator David Brock Smith and others said the incubator work in Coos County is already conducted through STEP partnerships with the Coquille Indian Tribe and that the amendment would formalize encouragement for third parties to create and fund such nurseries. Committee members pressed for clarity on species limitations and asked whether the amendment should explicitly limit rearing to fall Chinook; sponsors and ODFW staff said current practice and minimal fiscal expectations reflect fall Chinook only, but some senators asked that explicit statutory language be added.

Committee action: A motion to adopt the dash‑4 amendment to SB 221 was made in the work session on March 17; vice chair David Brock Smith moved the amendment on the record. After discussion and a request from multiple senators for explicit language limiting the amendment to fall Chinook, the committee carried over the work session on SB 221 to allow the sponsor to draft clarifying language. No vote to adopt the amendment was completed that day.

Fiscal and implementation detail: Testimony and staff materials stated a minimal fiscal impact to ODFW because incubator projects would be externally funded and the department’s role would rely on existing STEP staff (including a Charleston‑based STEP coordinator). Clements noted that expanding beyond fall Chinook would create additional broodstock and collection needs and could increase departmental fiscal and staff requirements.

","A dash‑4 amendment to SB 221 would direct the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to encourage and provide limited technical assistance for community fish incubation nurseries in Coos County; senators sought explicit language limiting rearing to fall Chinook and discussed minimal fiscal impacts and departmental roles.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126886,"Debate over adding hydropower to Oregon RPS surfaces in Senate committee hearing",2072,1647385,3720060,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9&start=1647&end=3720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665389-24c37b75ac37afa18d7fbd8ff5a3c6b9/thumbnail_1647385.jpg","/articles/6126886/Oregon/Debate-over-adding-hydropower-to-Oregon-RPS-surfaces-in-Senate-committee-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126886-fcba6e6ebd523a125ace91d609a48828/orig.mp4?Expires=1772958414&Signature=ohobkrfyCLJI3BCLN6Flgqu397EgxcTlNN9BtUV6LvoAnSWKeyen-w8BiZk0TSMS4w7OR79pJa~5sRW0pVCf4hdDCO-kFwgd~QKDxeEiugNbT2GKkNEvQrMfTxP8oBeF79IiSiBtYxPG5aA1B7raLGGSXF6OAg2UoJbI-tsuIAGynBjJ5oiC4b1dKykuFNClL2tgxAfIpfcqUCwwJm5Pdixeo7AFKwwdaUcG5blXS70UbRV2yp3M1~kQWzsy6PpCzurZesVX5jE4B4cgYhHK2rOmgTo-suLtRdq9loLTj~7i2-nD5ohpAkOa1QuN-K0f6QNyi4OcIYi55Ewvcg6JMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 634 would expand the types of electricity that can count toward Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to include hydroelectricity from existing facilities, the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment heard on March 17. Sponsors said including hydroelectricity recognizes an established, renewable, dispatchable resource; opponents said the original RPS intentionally excluded legacy hydro so it would drive new investment in wind, solar and other emerging resources.

Daniel Bonham, state senator for the Mt. Hood region, told the committee that hydropower is “absolutely clean. It is renewable. It is available, it acts as a battery, in many cases,” and cited ancillary benefits such as flood control and navigation. Senator David Brock Smith, sponsor and long‑time member on energy issues, said Oregon is among the few states that do not count existing hydro toward the RPS and argued the policy change would help utilities comply without further near‑term investment in new capacity.

Opponents said adding legacy hydro to the RPS would allow utilities to meet statutory targets without investing in new clean resources. Dr. Pat De Laquille, representing Mobilizing Climate Action Together, said the RPS was enacted to “help build a market for new clean energy power plants” and warned that “SB 634 would eliminate that distinction, allow the electric utilities in Oregon to claim credit … without having to make any additional investments,” which he argued would “gut the fundamental purpose of the law.”

Emily Griffith, Oregon Policy Manager for Renewable Northwest, said the RPS was “carefully crafted with a broad array of stakeholders to balance important policy priorities, including the decision to exclude legacy hydro from counting towards RPS.” Griffith told the committee that including existing hydro could “artificially inflate progress towards decarbonization without addition of new renewable energy resources to the grid” and could reduce resource diversity and resilience.

Tucker Billman, director of government relations for the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association (ORECA), representing consumer‑owned electric cooperatives, urged that the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) — the network of Columbia and Snake River hydroelectric dams that serve much of the Pacific Northwest — is a critical, low‑cost, renewable and dispatchable resource for rural Oregonians and said cooperative members rely on it to keep bills affordable and the grid stable.

Environmental and tribal concerns were repeatedly raised in testimony and written comments cited in the hearing record; the committee paused SB 634 briefly to hear related questions about a different bill (SB 221) concerning fish incubation nurseries and the State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s role. Senators asked whether certain hydro facilities that have modernized fish passage or low‑impact certifications should be treated differently than older projects; sponsors said those distinctions and mitigation possibilities could be part of further discussions.

Procedure and next steps: The committee received multiple oral statements for and against SB 634 and closed public testimony for that day. No floor vote on SB 634 occurred March 17; sponsors and committee members discussed potential amendments and requested additional information on which hydro projects would qualify under RPS changes.

","Senate Bill 634 would allow existing hydroelectric generation to count toward Oregon's renewable portfolio standard; sponsors said it recognizes hydropower's reliability and storage-like properties while opponents warned it could blunt incentives for new clean generation and harm the state's clean-energy transition.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would exempt some battery-powered 5-gallon sprayers from pesticide licensing; ODA urges standards and enforcement safeguards

Supporters tell Senate committee SB 688 would push utilities toward performance-based regulation

Committee pauses SB 221 work session while members seek clearer limits on fish incubation nurseries

Debate over adding hydropower to Oregon RPS surfaces in Senate committee hearing