Willamette River Cleanup

It’s Your River. It’s Your Voice. It’s Your Choice.

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Willamette Week: A Once-Polluted Stretch of Riverfront Has Been Clean for Nearly 20 Years. Why Is It Still Off-Limits?

Reported in Willamette Week: By Nigel Jaquiss April 10, 2024 at 7:01 am PDT Chasing Ghosts: Outdoor Adventure ADDRESS: 6900 N Edgewater St. YEAR BUILT: The creosote plant operated from 1944 to 1991. SIZE: 41.8 acres (land); 16.4 acres (water) MARKET VALUE: None...

Portland Harbor Community Impacts Mitigation Plan

From US EPA: EPA continues to develop the Community Impacts Mitigation Plan (CIMP) for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. The CIMP is a living document that will serve as a guide and enforcement tool to reduce adverse impacts to the community from Portland Harbor...

Portland Harbor CAG meeting January 10, 2024

CAG Board Members Michael Pouncil, Chair Doug Larson Sarah Taylor   In Attendance Madi Novak, Interim Superfund Project Manager Laura Knudsen, EPA Dani Jochums, Triangle Associates Anna Hamilton, Triangle Associates­­ Sarah Greenfield, ODEQ Dawn Sanders, BES...

Oil, Chemical Firms Pay Millions to Fix Portland Harbor

An update as reported in the Environmental News Service 12/31/2023 PORTLAND, Oregon, December 31, 2023 (ENS) – People who eat fish that live year-round in Oregon’s Lower Willamette River are taking a big risk, as these fish contain levels of toxic polychlorinated...

Public Comment Period Extended for Recently Announced Consent Decrees

Thank you Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council for notification: On November 1st, 2023, the Justice Department lodged two proposed consent decrees in federal court among members of the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council (Trustee Council) and...

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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.

Willamette Cove Environmental Field Day

Willamette Cove Environmental Field Day

This free event is a great opportunity for community members and their families to learn about the science behind environmental cleanups and get the latest updates on the planning for the clean-up of Willamette Cove. The event will feature exploration stations,...

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CAG Meeting May 22, 2022 Notes

CAG General Meeting May 11, 2022 CAG Board Members Michael Pouncil, Chair Doug Larson Sarah Taylor John Marshall   Portland Harbor CAG YouTube page. “Subscribe here” and at the bottom of the email. Now you have access to our monthly virtual meetings, forums, and...

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CAG General Meeting April 13, 2022

CAG Board Members Michael Pouncil, Chair Doug Larson Sarah Taylor John Marshall   Scott Burr, Tech Advisor Caleb Shaffer, EPA Laura Knudson, EPA   Number of Participants: 39 This meeting is recorded.   Portland Harbor CAG YouTube page. “Subscribe...

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