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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 2019)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 ❚ SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Pesticidecontaminated soil cleanup nearing end North Salem housing underway on most of site Tracy Loew Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK For the past three months, thousands of truckloads of pesticidecontaminated soil have wound their way through Keizer neighborhoods, from a former farm in North Salem to two abandoned quarries six miles away. Now, developers are asking the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to close out the environmen tal cleanup project, allowing homes and apartments to be built on most of the site. The public can comment on the request through July 15. Clackamasbased developer I&E Construction is nearing the end of what turned into a controversial plan to clean up the 150acre property at 4985 Kale St. NE, which had been contaminated with the chemical dieldrin from previous farm use. DEQ’s proposed “no further action” determination is for the western part of the property. The developer already has begun installing infrastructure there. Cleanup on the eastern portion of the site finished in June 2018, and homes have been built there. About 10 acres still need to have soil removed. Dieldrin is a breakdown product of the insecticide aldrin, which was banned for crop use in 1970. It per sists in soil for years and can accumulate up the food chain. I&E Construction plans to build a housing develop ment called Northstar on the site. In November 2017, DEQ officials approved the plan to truck the soil from the site to fill two former quarries on a farm north of Keizer, where it would be declared clean fill dirt. See CLEANUP, Page 2A Apartments are built after a pesticidecontaminated soil cleanup on part of 150 acres in Northeast Salem on Friday. PHOTOS BY MICHAELA ROMÁN / STATESMAN JOURNAL Oregon expands program to pay by mile instead of gallon Ben Botkin Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Decades ago, wild fish swam in abundance in the North Santiam River. Now, this stretch between Detroit Dam and the Willamette River sees few wild steelhead and salmon. Advocates debate whether adding hatchery raised fish to the river help or hurt the shrinking native population. DAVID DAVIS AND KELLY JORDAN/STATESMAN JOURNAL Who killed fishing on North Santiam River? Causes, solutions debated as steelhead decline continues Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK They came to the North Santiam Canyon from across Oregon, and sometimes even the world, to catch steelhead on a river that rolls crystal clear through emerald forest. On summer mornings in the 1970s and ‘80s, an glers would line up outside shops in Mill City to pur chase bait, food and a fishing license. Local kids would hawk homemade lures below Jefferson Bridge as convoys of boat trailers rolled up and down High way 22. “It was a vibrant time,” said Mike Ferris, a longtime angler and fishing guide on the North Santiam. “A lot of people fishing. A lot of tackle shops. A lot of guides.” Three decades later, a lot has changed. Once considered among the best places to fish in Oregon, the North Santiam has declined into a river with few fish, even fewer fishing guides, and a col lapsing number of anglers. “The bottom line is that there’s nothing left to fish for,” longtime angler Arden Corey said. “Most fisher men have given up.” Indeed, records show an 80 to 90 percent decrease in the number of steelhead between the peak of the 1980s and the last two years. The reasons for the decline are complex, including everything from dams to degraded fish habitat to poor ocean conditions to sea lions eating steelhead for breakfast. But the most contentious issue – one that’s split Oregon’s fishing community for decades – is the role of hatcheryraised summer steelhead in the river. In one corner are those who believe the North San tiam needs more hatchery fish, and more oldschool policy, to improve a floundering fishery. In the other are those who see hatchery steelhead as an invasive species that needs to be eliminated so superior native steelhead can rebound and the river can achieve a more natural state. At a moment of change on the river – following law How it works See RIVER, Page 3A Marion County employee alleges retaliation Bill Poehler Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK A Marion County human resources analyst has filed a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries alleging she was harassed and placed on paid administrative leave after her investigation into another employee’s sexual harassment complaint. Lisa Waddell, who has been employed by Marion County since 2013, alleged in a June 12 filing that Mar ion County and its top four administrators retaliated against her and accused her of leaking confidential information to the media. She named John Lattimer, Jan Fritz, Jane Vetto and Colleen CoonsChaffins in the complaint. The county released a statement about the com plaint: "While we cannot comment on personnel matters, please note that the county's response to Ms. Wad Online at SilvertonAppeal.com News updates: ❚ Breaking news ❚ Get updates from the Silverton area Photos: ❚ Photo galleries Electric vehicle owners face a decision in 2020: Which of two options should they choose when reg istering their vehicle? The answer depends on how much they will drive in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Transportation has ex panded its road usage charge program called OReGO. The voluntary program charges motorists based on how many miles they cruise along Oregon’s roads and highways instead of through fuel taxes. It’s intended to equalize what participants pay the state based on their actual road usage, not through fuel consumption, which can vary based on the vehi cle’s efficiency. Owners of any vehicle can enroll in OReGO if it gets 20 miles a gallon or better. That’s the “break even point” where fuel taxes cost the same as ORe GO. But the biggest changes are for any vehicle getting more than 40 miles per gallon and electric vehicles. Those drivers will have to choose between paying higher registration fees in 2020 or enrolling in ORe GO. The state also has removed the 5,000vehicle cap on how many drivers can participate in OReGO. Owners of more than 1,600 vehicles already are par ticipating in the program. The expansion reflects Oregon’s efforts to adjust to a changing transportation system and make up fuel tax revenues as vehicles become more efficient, electric or both. The changes came through House Bill 2881, which the Legislature passed and Gov. Kate Brown signed into law on June 20. In her statement when signing the bill, Brown called it “one more step toward sustainable funding through road usage charging.” “The historic implementation of OReGO, the na tion’s first road usage charge, provides a fair and sus tainable path to transition from a pergallon charge to a permile charge,” Brown said. “The system is go ing to enable us to maintain and improve Oregon’s infrastructure in the face of growing fuel efficien cies.” dell's BOLI complaint is due at the end of this month. The county looks forward to responding and will pro vide BOLI with complete, accurate and factual infor mation regarding the claims." Lattimer officially retired as Chief Administrative Officer June 30, but his last day was June 28. Fritz, previously the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, has been named to replace Lattimer. Vetto is County Counsel, the head of the legal department, and CoonsChaffin is the county’s Business Services Di rector. Waddell’s complaint states she was the human re sources analyst tasked with investigating a sexual ha rassment claim made in August 2018 by equipment operator Jamie Namitz against her manager Don Newell. Waddell’s BOLI complaint states she found all alle gations against Newell credible and recommended Motorists can go the signup page and pick an op tion, such as prepaying, paying afterward or wheth er they want a GPSenabled program to track their outofstate miles. They’ll need their vehicle identification number, driver’s license information and credit or debit card for payments. After signing up, an electronic device will be mailed to them to plug into their vehicle to track their miles. They also will have the option of using GPS See ROAD USE, Page 2A See RETALIATION, Page 2A Vol. 138, No. 30 Serving the Silverton Area Since 1880 A Unique Edition of the Statesman Journal QEAJAB-07403y ©2019 50 cents Printed on recycled paper A new Oregon law will allow more electric vehicle drivers to sign up for the state's program that charges drivers based on the miles driven. Photographed inside the Marion Parkade in downtown Salem on July 5, 2019. ANNA REED / STATESMAN JOURNAL