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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) —You would never know it from the surface, but underneath the water of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, there’s a huge problem. Twenty years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency designated a ten-mile stretch of the lower Willamette—between the Broadway Bridge and Sauvie Island—as seriously contaminated.

Called the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, it is the biggest of 13 superfund sites in Oregon, and about 1,300 nationwide.

First, the EPA has finalized the update to the Community Involvement Plan (CIP) and CIP Summary for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site.

Second, the Willamette River Advocacy Group (WRAG) is excited to announce an independent technical advisor (Marcus Griswold, PhD) has been selected to provide support to the WRAG for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site under EPA’s Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program.

Use these notes to inform your own message to DEQ. The public comment period ends August 31st.

The Trustee Council has developed a Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment to evaluate and select one of three alternatives to implement restoration actions. The Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan also evaluates potential environmental impacts from the alternatives under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The DEQ and NW Natural will remove about 5,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and tar-like material at the former Portland Gas Manufacturing site. The cleanup is part of the Willamette River Downtown Reach project. It is the last significant legacy contamination from gas manufacturing operations from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.

Join the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, the City of Portland, and the Oregon Department of State Lands online July 8 at 6:30pm for a virtual workshop and share how YOU would like to learn about the river cleanup. RSVP to reserve your spot.