State begins rewriting landmark climate program derailed by gas lawsuit.

During the next year, the Department of Environmental Quality will work on a new program to limit climate emissions and help vulnerable communities.

State environmental regulators are working on rewriting a greenhouse gas reduction program stymied by a gas company lawsuit. 

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced Monday it would restart the process for creating a new Climate Protection Program, which was approved three years ago to confront the growing threat of climate change. The program – requiring fossil fuel companies operating in the state to gradually reduce their greenhouse emissions 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050 – was invalidated by the state’s second highest court in December in a lawsuit over required disclosures.