The Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group meets this week.  The agenda includes:

• A presentation on the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan by the Trustee Council (read more below)
• Continuing discussion, questions and concerns about the draft Remedial Investigation Report

 
        Date:   Wednesday, December 9, 2009
       Time:   6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
       Location:   6543 N. Burlington Avenue, Portland  - BES Water Pollution Control Lab, near the St. Johns bridge

The monthly meetings of the Portland Harbor CAG are open to everyone.  

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On December 7th, the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council, responsible for restoring natural resources injured by contamination in Portland Harbor, will release a Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan for public comment.  The Trustee Council will be providing a brief presentation at the December 9th CAG meeting to explain the plan.  However, they will not be taking comments on the plan at the CAG meeting as there is a public meeting to present and explain the plan on December 10th, from 5:00PM-7:30PM at the St. Johns Community Center, 8427 N. Central St., Portland, Oregon.

The NRDA Assessment Plan for Portland Harbor provides background about the Portland Harbor Superfund site and its physical, biological, economic and tribal characteristics.  The Plan also documents the contaminants known to be released in Portland Harbor, the natural resources exposed to these contaminants, including fish and wildlife, surface water, and sediment, and discusses the services, uses and values of these natural resources for the public. Further, the Assessment Plan defines injury for various natural resources and highlights existing data sources that may be used by the Trustee Council to quantify injury to these resources. Finally, the Plan documents the Trustee Council’s approach to the NRDA at Portland Harbor and the approaches and methodologies that will be considered to determine and measure damages.

As of December 7th, copies of the Assessment Plan and other materials describing the NRDA process will be available for download from the Trustee Council’s website (http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Contaminants/PortlandHarbor/). In addition, hardcopies of the plan will be made available for review at the St. Johns public library. All documents may be obtained, or comments submitted, by contacting the Case Manager, Stephen Zylstra by email (stephen_zylstra@fws.gov), telephone (503) 231-6179, or by mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2600 SE 98th Ave., Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97266.   You may also contact Erin Madden (503-753-1310) for further questions.

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Site characterization work is moving along at a brisk page just offshore at the Gasco-Siltronic site.  You can view recent pictures at:   http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/PH/Gasco-Siltronic+Photo+Gallery