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Marilyn Koenitzer, Corvallis, 6 July 2016

Date: 6 July 2016

TO: LWVOR Board

FROM: Marilyn T. Koenitzer; 4240 SW Fairhaven Drive; Corvallis, OR 97333

PHONE: 541-754-0656

SUBJECT: Application Request for appointment to the Cleaner Air Oregon Regulatory Reform Advisory Committee

Dear Board Members,

First, I welcome the opportunity to serve the Oregon League through work on Air Quality. I intend to represent League well. I hope to be appointed to the Governor’s Cleaner Air Oregon Regulatory Reform Advisory Committee. If I am not appointed, I still intend to follow and submit testimony into the process, with Peggy Lynch as my mentor.

I understand that you will enter a letter to the Selection Board for the Advisory Committee. For that purpose my League history follows. I do not have many exact dates.

I joined the League of Women Voters in the winter of 1970 in Dayton, Ohio. My husband was an Air Force pilot, stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton. The first day we were in Dayton we were shocked to see heavy air pollution. We had come from Wichita, Kansas, where the wind blew so hard every day that we didn’t see air pollution. It caused both of us to join a newly formed air pollution group, and it caused me to join the League of Women Voters. I was an Army brat and Air Force wife and had lived in many places. I knew the League was active in issues I was concerned about.

In 1973 my husband retired, and we moved to Corvallis. I became active in the Corvallis League 1974. Hewlett-Packard came to town shortly thereafter, and Oregon passed Senate Bill 100. It was League heaven! I was involved in formation of the first Comprehensive Plan from the beginning, along with other League members.

I immediately joined the Corvallis League’s Land Use Committee (in 1974) when Lois Kenagy was chair. I have remained on the Land Use committee ever since, even though it has undergone a name change to Community Planning. I chaired the committee for about 10 years. Our Land Use/Community Planning committee has remained active, meeting usually two times per month for years. We have tackled many subjects: the annexation charter amendment, water and wetland issues—particularly trying to save more wetlands from destruction from the city’s Minimum Assured Development Area formula for properties with Significant Features, housing issues, zoning and Comprehensive Plan changes, annexations, and transportation issues. I am also currently a member of the Climate Change committee.

You may note the absence of an air pollution committee on the Corvallis League’s roster. I have been involved in air quality issues in Corvallis only at intervals when activities at our local glass fiber plant were critical. In hindsight, we should have started a local committee long ago, but now both the Community Planning and Climate Change committees are interested in the newest permit process for Hollingsworth and Vose (H&V), formerly Evans Products and Evanite.

Besides the air quality issues, the plant has a long history of trichloroethylene contamination. I have worked closely with personnel at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Western Region Cleanup Program on the TCE issues and what they mean for the city and our residents. I have also been in contact with the Air Quality Division over the years with questions that relate to H&V’s air emissions. The Climate Change Committee is working on State issues such as Cap and Trade and Carbon Tax. These issues may overlap into the Governor’s regulatory overhaul. If so, I will be prepared with the help of Claudia Keith. I have read air quality regulations of California, Washington and Oregon, and am studying the regulations from other states that the Technical Advisory Committee to the Regulatory Reform Advisory Committee commented on last week and will comment on at the end of July.

To continue the history:

Corvallis Planning Commission in 1978 for one term, Chair of Economic Element.

LWV of Corvallis Vice-President when Marolyn Welch, (now Tarrant) was President.

Board member for at least 25 years. Currently I am Board Secretary.

Tenor more years as a co-editor for our monthly Bulletin.

Managed our grapefruit fundraiser for 2 years.

Participated in one state study on Higher Education, approximately 20 years ago.

I have participated in several ad hoc committees, and chaired several. One was a study of Health Services in Benton County. I also chaired for several years our Grant Application committee. I participated in the Know your County committee, Prevention of Violence to Women, Local Food, and a Housing Committee.

For 24 years my husband and I owned a small business, Forest Data Incorporated, an aerial photo-interpretation and vegetative mapping company. I performed strategic and day-to-day management while my husband oversaw the photo-interpretation and vegetative mapping. Our clients were Federal and State Forest Services, Native American Nations, and private businesses.

I have participated in several other civic groups that have no relationship to the League.

I look forward to meeting you all and working together to make Oregon a better place.