The 75th regular session has now ended. While our main focus was on balancing the budget we were able to pass some critical health, and environmental legislation that will help Oregonians live better and more safely in the future.

Conserving our environment and protecting the health and wellbeing of our families is crucial to our community's success.

Field burning does not fit into this careful balance and we have suffered its negative impacts for far too long. Countless people have been forced into emergency rooms gasping for air during burn days, and in 1988 smoke plumes overtook I-5 taking the lives of 11 people.

For these reasons I co-sponsored Senate Bill 528 banning field burning. After many years of falling short we passed the bill with a bare majority. The key to passage was the hard dogged work of Rep. Paul Holvey, who represents the Lorane Valley, South Eugene and Veneta.

By 2010 Lane and Linn counties' grass seed growers along with those in seven other counties will have to use existing alternatives to clear fields. We will all breathe a little more easily.

The Legislature passed three other key bills this session to safeguard our health and our environment.

Coal-fired power plants pollute our air and water with nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury, and other dangerous particulate matter. These dangerous substances have known links to cancer, birth defects, developmental disorders, autism, and asthma. Coal-fired power plants are the dirtiest energy producers causing climate change, acid rain, and haze.

We passed Senate Bill 101 requiring emissions from energy producers to be no greater than a natural gas plant. In effect the bill bans new coal fired power plants, restricts extending the life of existing plants and prohibits new contracts procuring energy from coal plants.

DecaBDE is a hazardous chemical most commonly used in fire retardants and is known to degrade into a carcinogen previously banned by the legislature. Senate Bill 596 restricts its use in products.

Lastly, House Bill 2186 authorizes the Environmental Quality Commission to create a low carbon fuel standard, reducing greenhouse gas pollution 10 percent by 2020. Every year Oregonians send almost $2 billion out of the state to pay for fuel. This standard aims to create local fuels that support Oregon jobs and investment. In Oregon, green energy production will pay for itself over and over as we import less fossil fuel.

We also passed bills promoting renewable energy job creation and investment. I carried House Bill 2472 to refine the Business Energy Tax Credit. The bill paired-down support of mature industries, in order to ramp-up support for new development and innovations, adding the manufacture of electric vehicles to the list of qualifying projects.

Energy efficiency is the easiest and most common sense measure we can take to reduce emissions and ease our budgets. House Bill 2626 creates a loan program for homeowners and businesses, encouraging investments in energy efficiency and sustainable technology. House Bill 3300 defines "Green Jobs" and tasks the State Workforce Development Board with developing a plan to to create and sustain family-wage green jobs.

It will require careful planning and will to get to a healthy, sustainable future. Your Legislature is doing its part to get us all there!

Barnhart represents state house district 17, which includes Linn County southwest of Lebanon, including the Crowfoot, Sodaville and Sand Ridge areas. During the interim Barnhart may be reached at the Gateway District Office, 541-607-9207, or rep.philbarnhart@state.or.us.