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The City of Portland, Oregon

Nick Fish (In Memoriam)

City of Portland Commissioner

phone: 503-823-3589

Email: nick@portlandoregon.gov

1221 S.W. 4th, Room 240, Portland, OR 97204

City and State Raise Red Flags About Superfund Process

October 10, 2017

On Friday, the State of Oregon and the City of Portland raised a number of concerns about the Superfund process, including the prospect of years of further delay.

In January, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final cleanup plan – or "Record of Decision" – for the Portland Harbor Superfund site. The Record of Decision was a major step forward in the Superfund process, and reflected the input of a diverse group of stakeholders, including federal, state, and local governments, tribes, neighbors, businesses, and the broader community.

EPA is now getting ready to make big decisions about how to proceed with the cleanup, including how to measure the current health of the river so we can evaluate our progress along the way.

The City has learned that a number of private parties have asked the EPA to reconsider fundamental decisions that have already been agreed upon, a process that could delay cleanup work by a decade or more.

Rather than revisiting these decisions, the City is encouraging EPA to uphold the original cleanup plan and move quickly toward implementation.

Background

Letter from Oregon DEQ, October 5

 

Letter from Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Fish, October 6

 

Letter from Yakama Nation, October 6

 

Governor Brown Press Release, October 9

 

DEQ Press Release, October 12


Senator Ron Wyden Press Release, October 16

 

Joint Statement from Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Fish on EPA ROD, January 9

Media

EPA 'Remains Committed' to Working with DEQ, Tribes on Portland Superfund Cleanup

Andrew Theen in The Oregonian

 

$1.05 Billion Willamette River Superfund Cleanup Faces Delay After EPA Revises Plan, State Says

Andrew Theen in The Oregonian

 

New EPA Plan Could Delay Cleanup of Portland Harbor Pollution

Cassandra Profita in OPB News

 

Oregon's Congressional Push to Get EPA to Clean Up Polluted Portland Harbor

Cassandra Profita in OPB News

 

EPA Delays Signing Controversial Portland Harbor Superfund Agreement

Jim Redden in the Portland Tribune

 

DEQ Says EPA "Opening Up Process" in Superfund Row

Pete Danko in the Portland Business Journal

 

Now Trump’s Messing with the Willamette River?

Dirk VanderHart in the Portland Mercury

 

Trump Administration Threatening Actions That Would Delay Portland Harbor Superfund Cleanup, Local Officials Say

Rachel Monahan in Willamette Week

 

Trump Undermining Portland Harbor Superfund Cleanup, Oregon Officials Say

Pete Danko in the Portland Business Journal

 

Oregon Authorities Accuse EPA of Delaying, Weakening Portland Harbor Cleanup Plan

Joe Douglass in KATU News

 

Oregon: US Gov't Backtracking on Portland Harbor Cleanup

Andrew Selsky for The Associated Press in The Seattle Times

 

Oregon's Congressional Push To Get EPA To Clean Up Polluted Portland Harbor

Jefferson Public Radio