Legislators fail to Make Polluters Pay again!
Make Polluters Pay organizers and advocates
A statewide coalition highlights the costs Oregonians are already paying for fossil fuel-driven climate change
Wildfire survivors, faith leaders, firefighters, young people, heat wave survivors, local elected officials, heating & cooling professionals, taxpayers, and thousands of Oregonians raised their voices in this short legislative session in support of basic fairness. With a clear and unified voice, they told lawmakers, major climate polluters must pay their fair share for the damage they’ve caused to Oregonians.
Growing public and legislative support drove the Climate Resilience Superfund Bill (SB 1541) farther than ever before, advancing out of its policy committee for the first time. While the 2026 short session may be over, the economic burden on Oregonians from climate catastrophes continues, as does the need for massive investment in wildfire prevention, recovery, and other resilience to extreme weather driven by climate change.
“The Climate Resilience Superfund is an innovative policy to hold the largest fossil fuel polluters responsible for the harms they’ve caused and to make investments that benefit the most vulnerable Oregonians without raising taxes on us,” said JamiePang, Director of Programs at Oregon Just Transition Alliance. “Inaction is a policy choice to have Oregon taxpayers and communities hardest hit by climate change continue to pay 100% of the costs of heat domes, health impacts, drought, and wildfires.”
“We’re disappointed the Climate Resilience Superfund did not cross the finish line this session. However, the progress we made this year shows momentum is clearly on our side,” said Eliza Walton, Coalition Director at the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. “For the first time, this policy moved out of committee and created a statewide conversation about fairness and accountability for large polluters. Oregonians should not continue to be forced to bear the rising costs of climate disasters while fossil fuel companies continue to rake in record breaking profits. We’re building the coalition and the legislative support needed to hold large polluters accountable and we will be back next session.”
“In recent years we have seen critical wildfire prevention and resilience programs go unfunded because there isn’t enough money to go around,” said Norah Doyle, South Medford High School senior and member of Rogue Climate Action Team. “This bill provides an avenue for our state to fund these programs that benefit all Oregonians who have experienced the devastation that comes with wildfires. As we continue to experience countless smoke-filled summers and see the wildfire season expanding, we need this policy now more than ever.”
“In my lifetime, I’ve already seen wildfires harm my community, been forced to stay inside during deadly heatwaves, and missed school for extreme winter weather. Big fossil fuel corporations knowingly caused these disasters and they should pay for the impacts, not my family,” said Keeya Wiki, Ashland High School Senior and member of Rogue Climate Action Team.
Rough estimates based on other states’ experience show Oregon could raise up to $15 billion over 25 years to pay for:
wildfire resilience and prevention,
weatherization and energy saving improvements to homes and buildings,
flood protection, upgrades to power and wastewater systems,
advanced irrigation to combat drought, and more.
Currently, the average Oregonian could lose roughly $12,000 in personal income per year due to changes in the climate. Why should taxpayers carry that burden while the world’s largest fossil fuel companies make massive profits?
“There’s a groundswell of support across the state for this common-sense remedy, from Oregonians of so many backgrounds and walks of life. Our coalition is growing in our power -- from a handful of groups last year to nearly fifty organizations and thousands of active supporters,” said Sarah Loose, Director of Disaster & Climate Resilience for Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “We're also growing in our conviction. We're already laying the groundwork for the 2027 session. You can bet we'll be back with an even more energized and broad-based coalition, committed to making polluters pay for the wildfire prevention and climate resilience projects our communities so desperately need.
Oregon is not alone. New York and Vermont have already passed Climate Superfund legislation. Maryland passed legislation to study the process, and Minnesota launched their campaign just this week, joining over a dozen other states working on similar legislation.
The Oregon Make Polluters Pay coalition is 47 organizations statewide, including firefighters, faith communities, organized labor, climate justice supporters, health advocates, and more than 2,200 Oregonians who signed the Make Polluters Pay petition in less than 2 months. It is part of a nationwide, grassroots movement to defend communities impacted by intensifying disasters in the midst of record corporate profits and federal attacks on climate solutions. The work continues – “We will be back to Make Polluters Pay; Oregonians cannot afford otherwise,” said Emily Bowes, Policy Strategist, Sierra Club Oregon.
Here is how you can get involved:
Take action here!
Follow Make Polluters Pay on social media: Tiktok,Instagram, and X.
Press Contact: Brad Reed (971) 217-6813, brad@buildingresilience.org
Like the work OJTA is doing? Consider donating-, you can lend a hand with a donation of any amount.
Transition is inevitable, justice is not. The future we want will not happen without us.
