Willamette River Cleanup
It’s Your River. It’s Your Voice. It’s Your Choice.
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About the Portland Harbor Cleanup Site
The Portland Harbor Site spans 10 miles of the Lower Willamette River. The river sediments, surface water, and the fish that reside in the harbor have high levels of PCBs, PAHs, dioxins/furans, DDT and other pesticides which present an unacceptable risk to people’s health, especially subsistence and tribal fishers, and to the environment.
Under EPA cleanup plan, contaminated sediments at the site will be addressed through dredging, capping, enhanced natural recovery, and monitored natural recovery. Approximately 394 acres of sediment, out of 2,190 total acres in the site, will be actively remediated with dredging and capping, including removal of over three million cubic yards of contaminated sediments. Approximately 1,774 acres of the site with lower contaminant levels are expected to recover naturally over time.
Active cleanup construction work is expected to take about 13 years and cost $1 billion. Following the active cleanup construction phase, EPA expects a 100-fold reduction in contamination-related cancer and other serious risks. The river’s natural recovery process will further reduce these risks.
EPA is issuing two Unilateral Agreement Orders to initiate remedial design at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site
From US EPA: EPA is issuing two Unilateral Agreement Orders to initiate remedial design at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site: one to Evraz, Inc. to address contamination adjacent to its Rivergate plant between River Miles 1.9 and 3.2 on the...
WILLAMETTE COVE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
from Portland Harbor Community Coalition: On March 2nd, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) started a 60-day public comment period for Willamette Cove. DEQ has proposed a remedy for this toxic site that includes removing some of the worst toxins...
Draft Portland Harbor Superfund Site EPA Community Involvement Plan Now Available for Public Feedback! Deadline Extended to May 11
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency We are pleased to announce the release of the Draft Portland Harbor Superfund Site EPA Community Involvement Plan (Draft CIP) for public feedback. To provide feedback, please read the three points below: Share your...
Companies Challenge Portland Harbor Superfund Cleanup Plan
Reported by Cassandra Profita on OPB. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was announcing eight major cleanup agreements for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site this week, four companies were filing a petition challenging the agency’s core...
$24 million reimbursement fund ‘bolsters’ number of firms agreeing to clean contaminated Portland Harbor
As reported on Oregonlive by Everton Baily, Jr: "The agency announced Monday that it reached agreements with nearly two dozen companies, including Chevron, Exxon and Shell Oil, between December and last Wednesday to restore eight portions of the Portland Harbor...
EPA Announces eight new agreements for remedial design
Also read the report on OPB: https://www.opb.org/news/article/superfund-portland-harbor-epa-cleanup-agreements/ From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Greetings! EPA has some exciting news to share; eight new agreements (also known as Administrative...
Field Trips, Speakers and Environmental Justice Tours
The Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group is pleased to announce several educational opportunities for schools and community members. They include field trips for schools, walking tours, bike tours and presentations. We are able to work with groups to...
Notes from the February 12, 2020 CAG meeting
PORTLAND HARBOR COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP MEETING February 12, 2020 PANEL Michael Pouncil, CAG Chair Hunter Young, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 – Oregon Operations office James Holm, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers PRESENT Doug Larson, CAG Board Member...
Monitoring and Protecting Wildlife in Portland’s North Harbor Watershed – Portland Harbor Community Advisory Committee Public meeting – January 2020
by Sarah Taylor Wildlife, in what is now known as the Portland Harbor and Forest Park, have made this stretch of river, marsh and forest home for thousands of years. Animals migrated between the various ecosystems to find food and water, to reproduce and to nest. They...
Trustee Council Announces Request for Ecological Restoration Project Proposals
In anticipation of future settlement funds becoming available for restoration, the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council (Trustee Council) is accepting proposals for ecological restoration projects within the Portland Harbor Superfund Study Area and Broader...
Portland Harobr CAG November and December notes
Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group Meeting Notes – December 2019 Submitted by Sarah Taylor 12-28-2019 Next meeting The monthly CAG Meeting is Wednesday January 8th at 6:00 pm at the BES Water Lab Topic- Wildlife in the Portland Harbor – Habitat needs and impact...
Willamette Cove In-Water Remedial Design Agreement
Willamette Cove In-Water Remedial Design Agreement: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a settlement agreement with the State of Oregon, City of Portland, Port of Portland and settling federal agencies to develop remedial design for the Willamette Cove...