Ashland is moving forward with plans to electrify new homes, following Eugene
The Ashland City Council agreed this week to develop a plan to ban fossil fuel infrastructure like natural gas hookups in new residential construction. Young activists with the Rogue Climate Action Team have been pushing for such a move since March. The ordinance will not restrict fossil fuel infrastructure in commercial and industrial construction. Eugene was the first city in Oregon to pass a similar ban, but a group funded by utility NW Natural forced the issue to a citywide vote later this year. (Roman Battaglia/JPR)
Related: Oregon utility regulators say NW Natural’s plan to reduce emissions isn’t enough 🏭
Baker City firefighters say ending ambulance services tanked morale
Former members of the Baker City Fire Department say the city’s decision to hire a private ambulance service wrecked morale at the station and led them to resign. Ambulance calls made up about 85% of the calls at the fire department, but City Manager Jonathan Cannon told the City Council that the city wasn’t collecting enough money from ambulance billings. Ending ambulance services led the fire department to cut nearly six full-time positions. (Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald)
The BLM is putting off plans to log big, old trees in Southern Oregon
A legal challenge to the commercial logging of 830 acres of old-growth trees on federal forestland south of Grants Pass has prompted the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to delay two timber sales. The Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center of Ashland and three other environmental groups sued the agency in April, saying the environmental assessments for the timber sales were lacking. The BLM is proposing logging some trees up to 36 inches in diameter at breast height. (Shaun Hall/Rogue Valley Times)
A string of drownings in Oregon rivers and lakes prompts warnings from authorities
At least eight people are believed to have drowned in Oregon rivers and lakes during a three-week span from May to June. The latest came Saturday when a 17-year-old Ridgeview High School junior was pulled underwater as he swam too close to Steelhead Falls in Central Oregon. Rescue and emergency workers are reminding Oregonians that simple mistakes can lead to tragedy. They’re reminding recreationists to wear life jackets, swim with others and research hazardous conditions before going out on the water. (Bryce Dole and Brie Haro/Bend Bulletin)
Clark County utility board agrees to join nuclear energy study
Despite numerous objections from members of the public, the Clark Public Utilities Board of Commissioners decided unanimously to take part in a study to test the feasibility of a local nuclear energy project. Nuclear energy company Energy Northwest plans to study technology, risks, costs and more associated with installing small modular nuclear reactors in the region. Some view nuclear energy as a key piece of the puzzle in reducing climate-fouling carbon emissions. Others see it as unsafe, raising concerns over nuclear waste disposal. (Sarah Wolf/The Columbian)