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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2011)
april26 2011 V E R N O N I A’ S reflecting the spirit of our community free volume5 issue8 Rebuilding Vernonia, Part II: County Has Chance to Exploring the EPA Brownfields Program Provide Stable Funding for Sheriff’s Office Levy Would By Scott Laird The community of Vernonia is currently in the process of rebuilding significant pieces of its infrastructure. Major projects are currently under construction or in the planning stages and several redevelopment projects are being considered. Over the next few months, Vernonia’s Voice will be taking an in-depth look at some of these projects with the intent of informing and educating the public. Recently, you may have heard the words “Brownfields” and “Cleanup” in relation to Vernonia and wondered what this meant and how it might impact local property owners. The City of Vernonia has began the process of seeking funding to clean up what are known as “Brownfields”-- properties within the community on which development or re-use is complicated by the presence of hazardous substances. The word brownfields and the idea of hazardous materials being found on properties may make you think of large, inside 12 abandoned industrial sites with dangerous pollution. Some brownfields are old industrial sites, but others are commercial buildings with little or no known environmental contamination problems. Nearly every community has brownfields sites; in fact, it is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Some of the most common brownfields sites are: former gas stations, lots where heavy machinery was stored or repaired, abandoned railroads, junk or scrap yards, and landfills. Vernonia has its share of these; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified several properties in Vernonia that already qualify as brownfields sites. “The City of Vernonia is informed that there are properties throughout the community that were formerly used for business purposes that, as a byproduct of their business and the way they ran their business, have contaminents that may have gotten into the soil,” explains Vernonia Interim City Administrator Bill Haack. “So we are aware of approximately twelve sites that are on EPA’s watch list right now, and there may be other sites, like private homes that had underground storage tanks for oil. There is a significant unknown of what we will find on the site of the old O-A Mill and whether there are still any hazardous materials in the soil as we begin to create the new wetland feature out there.” In October of 2010, the City of Vernonia submitted an application to the EPA for a Brownfields Assessment Grant which would provide funding to inventory and asses the various and potential sites throughout the community. The grant also provides for developing and conducting community planning around brownfields properties. “The monies we have asked for, $400,000, can do two things,” explains Haack. “Half the money would be used for Phase I and Phase II assessments for petroleum-based problems, and half the money is for mixed hazard assessments— batteries, paint and other pollutants, as well as petroleum-based products.” According to Haack, a Phase I and Phase II involves the science of documenting the problem— research about past use of properties, and actual core samples of soil. A Phase I and Phase II would cost about $30,000. “In the event that an underground tank is discovered, these Assessment Grant funds would also pay for the extraction of the tank,” says Haack. The city expects notification about the grant award in late May of 2011. Started in 1995, the EPA’s vhs spring sports 19 easter egg hunt 19 sportsman’s banquet continued on page 18 Provide for Six Additional Patrol Deputies, Three Investigators, and More By Scott Laird down with Columbia County Sheriff Jeff Dickerson to talk about the levy and what Dickerson hopes will be accomplished if voters choose to approve it. “The number-one thing that people are concerned about in Columbia County is back-up and assistance for local law enforcement, Columbia County voters will have a chance on May 17th to pass Measure 5-210, the Stable Funding Levy for the Sheriff’s Office, providing expanded protection and services for residents county-wide. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners placed Measure 5-210 on the ballot on January 3rd, asking voters to approve the four-year levy that would assess 62 cents per thousand on property values. According to campaign literature, that equates to $124 in taxes each year for a property valued at $200,000. The levy would fund an additional six patrol deputies, three investigators, two sworn Columbia County Sheriff Jeff Dickerson talks about Measure 5-210 which would provide stable funding supervisors, a support for his office for the next four years. Measure 5-210 clerk, and equipment will appear on the ballot for the May 17th election. and fuel for those added positions. In addition, two and this levy will provide for that,” corrections deputies and a jail mental says Dickerson. “It will also reduce health program will be retained from response times to emergencies in our an expiring federal grant program. county and provide law enforcement The Columbia County detectives who will take the criminal Sheriff’s Office has faced layoffs and target off the back of our citizens in staffing cuts over recent years and Columbia County.” lacks a specific allocated operations According to Dickerson, the budget. Patrols have had to be Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is reduced, personnel levels are what currently responsible for operation many people consider dangerously of the 258-bed county jail as well low, and follow-up to crimes and as patrol and response to 657 square response times to emergencies is miles of territory. Right now, there slow. are only six deputies who work patrol Vernonia’s Voice recently sat continued on page 8 Make Vernonia Shine Almost seventy citizens turned out on April 16th to pull weeds, pick up trash, sweep sidewalks and help Make Vernonia Shine. The annual clean-up day was once again sponsored by Vernonia Pride.
