Get involved in river cleanup

MY view l Every Portlander can play a role in ensuring that the Superfund efforts on the Willamette River are carried out effectively

By Travis Williams

The Portland Tribune, Jan 22, 2002, Updated Oct 30, 2009

As many folks have heard, the Portland harbor area of the Willamette River has been designated a federal Superfund site.

This section of the river Ñ a nearly six-mile stretch from Swan Island to near the Willamette’s confluence with the Columbia River Ñ is a Superfund site because of the high degree of pollution, some of it very toxic, that resides on the river bottom.

A variety of pollutants can affect the health of river species and, potentially, people who consume fish that are contaminated, so a comprehensive and timely cleanup of the river is essential. The Superfund designation demands that any company or entity that had some part in polluting a site must take an active role in cleaning it up.

The process already is moving forward. This initial stage will yield new information about the extent of the pollution to ensure that decisions about how to clean up the area are based on the best information. Once this information is gathered, plans for cleaning up the harbor will be devised, and the actual cleanup activities will then take place. This will take several years to complete.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is leading the cleanup, in close cooperation with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, which has been working to clean up contaminated sites that exist on land next to the river.

In addition to these agencies, several private companies that had some hand in creating the pollution, as well as the city of Portland and the Port of Portland, are engaged in efforts to study the area.

While the EPA and DEQ represent the public in this cleanup, there is a very real need to engage the public in the cleanup process. One need not be an expert in toxic pollution or river cleanup issues to get involved. All you really need is a willingness to spend a little time to learn about the process and ask questions.

There are several ways people can get involved or learn more about the cleanup.

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