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Salem to lobby on behalf of the law. In closing, he urged the council to support the recommendation for the increase in hazardous substance user fees for 2004. David Monk, 3720 Emerald Street, speaking as the third citizen representative on the Toxics Board, stressed that the ordinance had been passed by a 55 percent majority. He averred that voters clearly understood that "ignorance was toxic." He opined that funding challenges faced by the Toxics Right-to- Know law were a direct result of business owners' opposition to democracy. He commented that the city councilors represent people impacted by industry. He likened the decision before the council as that of being for the "protection of the health of our youngest and most vulnerable citizens" or for the industry's "right to pollute." He asked the council to adopt the recommendation for the fee structure brought before it by the Toxics Board, reiterating that it had been forwarded by a unanimous vote. Hope Marston, PO Box 51434, 3110 University Street, proclaimed her pride in living in a community in which the citizens had passed the Toxics Right-to-Know law. She lauded the community's concern for the environment. She felt the law was about community standards and about the price that business paid for the potential harm it caused the community. She said it was up to the people on the City Council to take a leadership role and make sure the City Charter was protected. She urged the council to uphold the recommendation of the Toxics Board and keep the fee structure and spread the burden among the business community. She reiterated that the public had a right to know. Elizabeth Horvath, 1158 Mill Street, stated that she was a student of the University of Oregon and an intern with the Oregon Toxics Alliance. She read testimony from Lynn Fessenden into the record. She related Ms. Fessenden's assertion that the Toxics Right-to-Know database was facile to work with and that it contained a valuable amount of relevant and valuable information for citizens of Eugene including what chemicals were being released and whether into the air, surface water, or the City's water treatment facility, what is known about health effects of the chemicals, who was releasing them, where they were located and which industries were increasing and which were decreasing the chemicals released into the environment. She conveyed Ms. Fessenden's support for the ordinance. Mayor Torrey called for a motion to extend time. Councilor Bettman moved, seconded by Councilor Poling, to extend the meeting time by nine minutes. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Sandra Bishop, 591 West 10~ Avenue, spoke in support of the ordinance. She related that she had been appointed in the mid-1980s to a committee for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on toxics. She said the Eugene Toxics Right-to-Know Program was not asking businesses to stop using chemicals or hazardous substances. She asserted that the people of Eugene deserved to know what was in the water, air, and soil. She asked the council not to weaken the reporting aspect of the program. She urged the council to take courage and know that Eugene was leading the nation in this. She suggested the program be expanded to include entities such as the University of Oregon and other large public organizations. She felt creative public/private partnerships could result in comprehensive reporting. Lisa Arkin, 29136 Gimpl Hill Road, Eugene, stated that she was a staff member for the Oregon Toxics Alliance. She related that she had received many phone calls from as far away as New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts inquiring about Eugene's unique and "not redundant" model Toxics Right-to-Know law. She asserted the action of the City Council would be watched by communities across the nation as the law represented the best in toxics right-to-know laws. She commented that the law was a model for municipal policy and gave value to the notion that the air and water, both public spaces, required responsible care from all who used them. MINUTES February 23, 2004 Page 13