; 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
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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.
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J 2 Clackamas Print MARCH 15.2017 thedackamasprint.com
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