Street roots., February 03, 2017, Page 9, Image 9

Page 10
News
Street Roots •
Feb. 3-9, 2017
Superfund plan expected
to move forward under
new administration
BY STEPHEN QUIRKE
up will proceed smoothly, due in part to the
character of the new administration.
Jim Robison of the Portland Harbor
A fter months of public comment and
Community Advisory Group said the recent
ZA many more years of study, the EPA
freeze on EPA grants is not effecting his
JL A has finally approved its plan for
group yet, though if the grants are ultimately
cleaning up the Willamette River Superfund
eliminated, it would certainly hurt local job
site,
training efforts, and make it harder for the
The EPA’s highest official signed an
official Record of Decision on January 3 - the public to understand the health risks of toxic
; contamination.
biggest milestone in a 16-year process to
Unfortunately, even bigger threats to the
restore healthy fish and clean water to
clean-up are possible under the Trump
Portland’s embattled river.
administration. “We’ve been asking all kinds
Though the final plan marks a significant
of questions about what the incoming
improvement over the one proposed last
June, it does not satisfy everyone.
administration could do to sabotage it,.” said
Robison, “and the answer we’ve gotten is ‘It’s
According to the EPA, making unlimited
signed, it’s set, and the incoming
fish consumption safe for everyone -
including the most vulnerable - was one of
administration can’t just change that. But one
the biggest priorities they heard from the
thing they could do is decide to just defund
all enforcement.”
public last summer. During that comment
period they received more than 5,000
Such a possibility may already be on the
comments with over 90 percent in favor of a
table. On Jan. 30, Trump advisor Myron
more comprehensive clean-up.
Ebell announced that his goal for the EPA
Although the final clean-up plan doesn’t
was a whopping 75 percent réduction in staff.
entirely meet that fish consumption priority,
And although Ebell is Trump’s former lead
it does lock in a series of actions in the
for the EPA transition, his current pick to
P ortland H arbor over th e course of 13 years
head the EPA, Scott Pruitt, has been a
STAFF W R ITER
how practical either option would be.
another 15 years.”
There are some indicators that the city
Failure to enforce clean-up could produce
and state are taking new initiative to steer
significant problems for areas the EPA calls
the cleàn-up: According to the Portland
“early action sites” - places that need to be
Tribune, Gov, Kate Brown will be asking the
cleaned first in order to prevent
legislature to approve a $10-million bond to
recontamination either closer to the shore or
advance the clean-up. Thé city of Portland
further downstream. Unfortunately, many of
has previously spent more than $50 million
these sites have not yet been addressed, and
to lead the clean-up process and engage local
according to a scathing resignation letter
tribes to restore fishing rights damaged by
contamination.
written by the city’s senior Superfund official
Much of that city money; should be repaid
in 2011, “Far less early work has been done
consistent Opponent of environm ental law H
once polluters begin to put their own money
here in Portland Harbor than at other
■.JfflYii) hntmthe,.compl e x and contentions.,,, ,
Superfund sites around the country.”
In one example, as th e A ttorney G eneral
process for determining each polluter’s share
Whether the owners at these sites will
for Oklahoma, Pruitt sued the EPA to block a could hit a snag.
pollution clean-up in the Chesapeake Bay,
re-engage
with the EPA’s final plan remains
“The responsible parties are supposed to
claiming it was a dangerous precedent that
to be seen. But according to Sallinger, the
determine who pays among themselves, but
violated states rights.
if they fail, the EPA will step in and do it for - clean-up plan is here to stay.
This approach to enforcement could
“It’s very hard to undo a Record of
them,” said Bob Sallinger, conservation
become a big problem if Portland’s 150-plus
Decision,” said Sallinger. “There could be
director with the Audubon Society of
polluters can’t voluntarily coordinate to
obstruction, but I think the community is
Portland. “So there’s a lot of opportunity
execute the plan - which is to be jointly
unfortunately for interference and
much more engaged now than they were
adminstered by the EPA and the Oregon
obstruction and further delay. I think what
before. I’m looking to the responsible
Department of Environmental Quality. If EPA gives me some hope is that the state wants
parties, especially the Port of Portland, to
enforcement is undermined, Robison said
to move forward, the city wants to move
really demonstrate some leadership and
Portland will be left with two options:
forward, and hopefully some (potentially
show that they care about something other
compelling EPA to enforce the law through
responsible parties) want to move forward
than their bottom line. For those companies
lawsuits, or asking the state of Oregon to
and realize we’re better off with a clean river
that think they can keep working in
compel polluters to act. It is not clear vet
and new economic development than waiting
obscurity, I think those days are over.”
th a t th e EPA estim ates will cost polluters
tne
iese actions will remove anywhere between
2.5 and 3.3 million cubic yards of
contaminated sediments from the river and
shorelines, shipping most of this off on
barges and trains. The majority of the
sediment will then be treated and confined
away from the harbor, though some will
require treatment before shipment.
The EPA’s latest documents admit this
plan may not do enough to protect human
and environmental health, as it is required to
do under law; the agency is therefore relying
on regular reviews every five years to ensure
the river remains safe arid the project
achieves its goals.
However, it still isn’t clear that the clean-
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14. The gift o f___
16. Tease or ridicule
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Affirmativel
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Cake ingredient
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