Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2017)
; lackamas College violates law BY BLAKE SWAN Clackam as Co m m un ity College is temporary fix was needed by Feb. 3 and t currently under investigation by Oregon’s a permanent fix by Feb. 10. Department of Environmental Quality for By Feb. 3 the college cleared the debris hazardous waste dispoal. on and around the storm drain and then I DEQ would n ot elaborate on the sealed the drain w ith an absorbent • in v estigation , sayin g the m atter is barrier. In addition to properly making ongoing. sure contaminants cannot enter the storm But the college was required to fix a drain, the college also hired a company to 7 second matter: letting tfash seep out of clean out the debris on top of and inside old dumpsters behind the com munity the drain. . center and into the storm water system “ We had been planning to move the around the college. compactor over to this yard [Niemeyer Jay Collins, hazardous waste inspector, Center] for a long time because it just conducted a routine hazardous waste doesn’t belong there, It’s a bad place for inspection at the Oregon City campus of it,” said Cochran. the college on Jan. 25. The dumpster has caused problems for “ You guys gen erate and co llect the college before. In the summer of 2016, 1 hazardous waste ... I was at the college the collège purchased a new dumpster to J to oversee“that,” said Collins. During his replace one with a crack in it. The cause inspection, Collins noticed a leak starting of the more recent leak was a broken seal. at the trash compactor and dumpster On Feb. 6, the compactor was removed leading to a clogged storm drain behind from behind the Community Center and the Community Center, relocated to Niemeyer Center. It is no s Collins notified Michael Kennedy, water longer in use; instead Oregon City Garbage n quality specialist, about the clogged storm Company is picking up all trash directly. “ drain and the leak. “ W e’ve taken this com pactor and I On Feb. 1, Kennedy visited the college moved it away... and instead of us doing, I and took pictures of the staining and the garbage right now we have contracted I clogged storm drain. He confirmed that that out to our local garbage h au ler,” I the college was violating two laws: not said Cochran. “ Instead of us driving all J allowing waters to be polluted and for a over cam pus and com pacting it, they I commercial establishment discharging are driving all over campus and taking it waste into waters. straight the landfill.” Kennedy contacted Bob Cochran, dean . The college has not been fined for these I of cam pusservices, to let him know of violations. the violations and notify him that a I I I “ T his was direct discharge o f a prohibited material into a storm water catch basin. They corrected it alm ost immediately, so we allowed that to be the fix to the problem,” said Kennedy. Top: The pictured dumpster was the source of waste leaking into a nearby storm drain behind the Community Center. Bottom: The dumpster was removed, and the trash compactor was disconnected. E o u c « “Mfe h a d been planning to m ove the compactor lo ve r to this yard Q- cn 1 [Niem eyer Center] fo r a A3 E ¡lon g tim e ...” A3 - B o b Cochran U _A3 U (D I On 77»e Cover: Tuition is g o in g up. C o ye r d e sig n b y C h elsea Pagan. Most Trafficked Story This Week: W in terh aw k s c lin c h p la y o ff sp o t w ith w in ove r P rin ce G e o rg e 5 -4 b y Travis i D avid V W h itta ke r 3 , j ' .. J -- J, J 2 Clackamas Print MARCH 15.2017 thedackamasprint.com o © 4 The Clackamas P rint is free, bu t please take only one copy. Any person rem ovvig our papers in bulk w ill be pros- , ecuted to the full. • extent o f the law. PRINT EDITORIAL Co Editors-in-Chief Blake Swan Victoria Tinker chiefed@clackamas.edu Copy Editor Kristen Wohlers copyed@clackamas.edu Photo Editor Austin Boltz photoed@clackamas.edu News Editor Elizabeth Kessel newsed@clackamas.edu Arts & Culture Editor Merari Calderon Ruiz aced@clackamas.edu Sports Editor Travis David V Whittaker Sportsed@clackamas.edu Opinion Editor Collin Berend oped@clackamas.edu Web Editor Alexis Wagar webeditor@clackamas.edu Design Editor Chelsea Pagan PAd Manager David Avis admgr@clackamas.edu STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Nick Allison Doug Fry Marjorie Guttery James Harley Tim Vixay Sam Weston PRODUCTION Ian VanOrden Jacob Buswell JOURNALISM ADVISER Melissa Jones melissaj@clackamas.edu The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased and professional manner. Content published in The Print is not screened or subject to censorship. Email comments, concerns or tips to: chiefed@clackamas.edu or call us at 503-594-6266 Roger Rook Room 135 19600 Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045
