End to Bottle Bill Exemption Looms Outside Two Downtown Portland Retailers

Neighbors implored Kotek to extend the exemption.

Safeway Bottle Drop, Southwest 11th & Jefferson. (Nathaniel Perales)
By Nigel Jaquiss

The April 1 expiration date approaches for a 30-day exemption from the Oregon Bottle Bill that Gov. Tina Kotek granted Feb. 29 to the Safeway at Southwest 10th Avenue and Jefferson Street, and an adjacent Plaid Pantry on 11th.

The goal of the exemption was to see whether pausing the return of individual bottles and cans to those two stores would decrease the open drug dealing and use in surrounding blocks (“House of Cans,” WW, Feb. 7).

Neighbors, who have deluged Kotek’s office with emails in the past week, say there has been an improvement in their quality of life, and implored Kotek to extend the exemption.

“We appreciate the novel and effective approach you applied to the localized fentanyl problem plaguing the blocks surrounding our homes by eliminating the availability of drug money,” nearby resident Dorothy Kemp wrote in a typical message. “Please, please permanently extend the program suspension. Our safety, livelihoods and health depend on its continuance.”

Kotek spokeswoman Elisabeth Shepard says the governor hasn’t made up her mind what she’ll do but will announce a decision after consultation with city and county leaders.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.