NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF BALLOT TITLE

Notice is hereby given that a ballot title for an initiative petition has been filed with the Elections Office of the City of Portland on September 6, 2012.

The ballot title is as follows:

CAPTION:

Amends Charter: Prohibits certain chemicals and substances in drinking water. 

QUESTION:

Shall Portland be prohibited from adding certain chemicals, other substances to drinking water except when intended to make water potable?   

SUMMARY:

The quality of City drinking water is currently subject to state and federal standards.  These standards do not expressly prohibit addition of industrial or manufacturing by-products. This measure adds a provision to the City Charter prohibiting the City or its agents from adding by-products of any industrial or manufacturing process to the City’s drinking water. The measure would prohibit addition of fluoride that is an industrial or manufacturing by-product.  

The measure also prohibits the City or its agents from adding any chemical or other substance that could cause the City’s drinking water to exceed the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level Goals. The EPA’s Goals are more restrictive than current state and federal standards the City must meet.

The measure would not prohibit the addition of substances intended to make water potable.

This measure forbids the City to exercise any prior grant of authority under the City Charter to the extent such authority would permit the City to add chemicals or substances in any way the measure prohibits.

The City Auditor has determined this measure meets the single-subject requirements of Article IV, Sect 1 of the Oregon Constitution.  An elector may file a petition for review of this ballot title in the Multnomah County Circuit Court no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, September 17, 2012.

LAVONNE GRIFFIN-VALADE

Portland City Auditor