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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 2015)
Street Roots • May 22-28, 2015 News Page 5 LINE IN THE SAND, from page 4 testified he’s concerned the residents of a manufactured home park less than a half mile from the dumpsite are at risk from the contaminated dust that blows from the piles of uncovered sediment, calling the “health challenged” residents there “prisoners in their own homes.” A representative for the Oregon Public Ports Association reminded the committee that ports contribute more than $600 million ip tax revenue to state and local governments annually, and stated that the bill is “a simple fix to a complex and difficult challenge.” The challenge, Port of Portland representatives say, is coming up with plans for using the dredged sediment. West Hayden Island, itself, is the product of historical dredge-spoil dumping, although most sediment was deposited there before environmental laws requiring beneficial use were established in 2009. The Port of Portland now owns the land and has been dumping sediment at its placement facility there for more than 13 years. Over time, the island has become a habitat of wetlands, meadows and bottomland hardwood forests. According to Sallinger, the natural area is home to a diverse population of wildlife, including more than 100 species of birds, and it provides crucial river habitat for salmon. On the northern flank of the island, at the edge of the port’s sediment dump, a pair of bald eagles routinely nests and raise their eaglets in a patch of cottonwood trees, he says. According IfiLBEfitLS. Rpick ,th e xdredged sediment dumped upland on the island meets screening requirements for occupational properties. These requirements allow for higher levels of contamination than residential screening. He says it’s up to the Port of Portland to test chemical levels in the solid waste and report it back to DEQ. “To my knowledge it’s Sandy and silty material from the river bottom,” says Roick, PHC “and yes, there are low levels of certain contaminants, like petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs and there have been some pesticide detections, but they’re low enough that they’re below our screening levels for being able to put it " I t ' s c r e a t i n g a c e n t a m la a t e d upland and not cause an adverse impact.” s e l l i w a s te d a m p I n t h e m id d le But to Sallinger, the e f a n a t u r a l a r e a - t h i s Is real issue is the n o t t h e r i g h t p la c e l o r a p o r t location of the dump. d n s n p /' “It’s creating a contaminated solid BOB SALLINGER AUDUBON SOCIETY' OF PORTLAND waste dump in the middle of a natural area - this is not the right place for a port dump,” he says. “The whole purpose of having that productive-use clause in the bill in the first place was to ensure that people didn’t do exactly what the port is doing - that they don’t just dump their waste wherever they want and create these mini landfills without any productive benefits to the community.” Despite years of push back from environmentalists and island residents, the port continues to use the island to store its waste, saying it’s low on options. “Dredged material must be placed in a location pre-approved by numerous state and federal agencies,” says Johnson. “West Hayden Island is currently our only designated upland location for appropriate dredged material generated from berth maintenance.” While most of the dredged sediment is clean enough to be disposed of water or used as “beach nourishment,”'* since 2Q13, the port has sgnt 2,000 cubic yards to landfill, and about 3,000 cubic yards of less-contaminated sediment to upland storage on the island, he says. Based on the port’s beneficial use applications, DEQ estimates that about 200,000 cubic yards of sediment have been deposited at the West Hayden Island Placement Facility in recent years. N orthwest emily@streetroots. org Dinosaurs Returning to the Surface by Elizabeth Eckstrom Floating atop water Filling the Skies Even those who before could not Now swim and fly Watch the traffic Going to and fro At speeds 100 years Before unknown Could speed be the reason People are giving Birth to the giant reptiles Who once ruled the earth Transitions byj.mccurdy She smiled at him instead o f ... with him... tenderly Screening Forever A n d Its d o m p lic a b d n s Out ot her expression... And he knew By the lack Of Memories Waiting to be made... That his Heartbeat wasn’t welcome Against her skin Anymore.... 5312 NE 148th Ave. Portland, OR 97230 Free career training for persons with disabilities in janitorial and building maintenance R equirem ents: • Documented proof o f disability Proficiency in understanding and speaking English Pass criminal background check Pass drug test D isa b ilitie s: Physical, m ental h e a lth , intellectual, d e v e lo p m e n ta l, a n d le a rn in g Q u estio ns ? Please Call: (503)261-1266 or (800) 874-7917 email: careers@phcnw.com THE MAGIC IS IN THE HOLE! 2 2 SW 3 R D 6c BU R N S ID E 1501 NE DAVIS SUPPORTING STREET ROOTS SINCE 2 0 0 3
