Ship-Scrapping Proposal Altered

In January, OSPIRG learned that a company was contemplating locating an operation to deconstruct retired Navy ships in Portland Harbor, already a federal Superfund site.

Since these retired ships are often contaminated with toxic materials and may carry exotic species in their hulls or ballast water, OSPIRG Environmental Advocate Rhett Lawrence was concerned about the implications for the Portland Harbor and Willamette River.

In early February, Gov. Ted Kulongoski reversed an earlier stance on the matter and declared that any such operation in Oregon could only be done in “dry-dock,” where the environmental concerns would be lessened.

Lawrence applauded the governor for changing his mind about the issue once the problems with the company’s original plans became clear.

OSPIRG will continue to monitor any ship-scrapping plans in Oregon and will insist that a dry-dock operation be the only option on the table.

PROTECTING THE ARCTIC—The Coastal Plain of the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge is the birthing and nursery grounds for the over 120,000-member Porcupine Caribou herd, as well as home to birds, grizzly bears, muskoxen, polar bears and other wildlife.

Oregon Senators Split Vote On Arctic Refuge

OSPIRG renewed its call for Oregon’s Sen. Gordon Smith to oppose any bill that allows drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

In December the U.S. Senate upheld a filibuster to block a defense spending bill that included a last-minute amendment to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

The successful filibuster forced the arctic drilling provision to be stripped out of the bill. Senator Ron Wyden voted to protect the Arctic, but Sen. Gordon Smith voted to stop the filibuster.

Again, in March, the Oregon senators split their votes on a critical Arctic vote, with Sen. Wyden opposing the budget bill that included drilling, but Sen. Smith voting for the bill despite its Arctic drilling provision.

OSPIRG Decries Federal Vote On Student Aid Cut

Despite strong opposition from OSPIRG and other state PIRGs, the U.S. House voted to cut $12 billion from college student loan programs, the largest cut in the history of the programs.

The Feb. 1 vote could scarcely have been closer, with 216 voting for and 214 voting against the cut. The proposal came as part of the budget reconciliation bill.

“The House completed the largest raid on student aid in history,” explained OSPIRG Consumer Advocate Laura Etherton.

“At a time when college costs continue to rise and students are going deeper into a financial hole, Congress has decided to use students and families to pay for other priorities.”

Rather than cutting lender subsidies, the bill derives most of its savings by continuing the practice of forcing student and parent borrowers to pay excessive interest rates on their loans and by increasing interest rates for parent borrowers.

Nearly 70 percent of the bill’s total student loan cuts of $20 billion come from students and families.

In the same budget bill that authorized these student loan cuts, Congress also called for up to $70 billion in tax cuts.

Data Theft Underscores Need For Protections

Pointing to the recent theft of Oregonians’ medical records and other personal data, OSPIRG Consumer Advocate Laura Etherton called on state lawmakers to take action to protect consumers.

In December, over 350,000 current and former patients’ medical records, Social Security numbers and other personal information were stolen from Providence Home Services.

Providence waited nearly a month before notifying affected patients of the theft.

“The Legislature can help Oregonians combat identity theft by passing key policies,” said Etherton.

“First, lawmakers can require immediate notification whenever a security breach occurs. Second, they can give consumers the right to put a security freeze on their credit reports to stop identity thieves in their tracks.”

In the 2005 legislative session, Sen. Floyd Prozanski (Eugene) sponsored OSPIRG-backed bills that, had they passed, would have provided such protections to Oregonians.