NEWS
B Y H E N RY H O U S TO N
POLLUTION UPDATE
VISCO Warned for Water & Solid Waste Violations
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) sent VISCO, Inc., a warning letter on March 10
for Clean Water Act violations at its Awbrey Lane
facility. DEQ inspected VISCO’s facility on Feb. 9 and
observed that VISCO was failing to clean up sand
blasting material, leaving it exposed to precipitation
and therefore vulnerable to ending up in local
waterways. DEQ also noted that VISCO was in violation
of employee education and monitoring requirements
of its Clean Water Act permit and warned VISCO for
violating solid waste laws via unauthorized land
disposal of waste sand blasting material.
Doug Quirke/Oregon Clean Water Action Project
LANE COUNTY AREA
SPRAY SCHEDULE
CITY WIDE MECHA
ORGANIZER MIGUEL
PEREZ SANCHEZ AND
CARLOS GARCIA ADDRESS
SPRINGFIELD MAYOR
CHRISTINE LUNDBERG
PHOTO: HENRY HOUSTON
SPRINGFIELD ISSUES PROCLAMATION
FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
Mayor’s last-minute change from a resolution surprises community members
fter nearly six months of discussion, Springfield
will join dozens of cities nationwide, including
Eugene, to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on
the second Monday of October.
Springfield Mayor Christine Lundberg issued a
proclamation at the beginning of the March 20 City Council
meeting to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The wording
commits the city to protecting the dignity of all people who
live and work in Springfield and aims to uphold the United
Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People.
For some advocates, though, the proclamation was seen
as just words and no action. Community members who at-
tended the meeting and expected the council to vote on a full
council resolution say they were surprised when they picked
up the city council agenda.
A proclamation is what
the mayor issues without a
council vote, legislative and
public affairs manager Niel
Laudati says.
Those pursuing Indig-
enous Peoples’ Day origi-
nally requested a resolution,
but Lundberg instead decided
to place it on the March 20
agenda as a proclamation,
Laudati says.
“I felt that I could do more
as a proclamation,” Lundberg
tells EW.
Putting it on the agenda as
a proclamation changed the tone of those who spoke during
the city council meeting from celebratory to critical.
“I just want to stay firm that the indigenous community is
asking for a resolution,” says Ada Ball, a Siletz and Klamath
tribal member. “A proclamation is very nice, but now is not
the time for statements. A resolution is action.”
The issued proclamation also did not mention Christo-
pher Columbus in its text. Indigenous Peoples’ Day — usu-
ally observed on the same day as Columbus Day — trans-
forms a celebration of colonialism into a reflection upon the
ongoing struggles of indigenous peoples and a celebration of
their cultures and values.
A
“It wasn’t just my opinion to remove the paragraph about
Columbus Day. It was an informal discussion with coun-
cilors,” Lundberg says. “So I very adamantly wanted to do
the positive, which is to recognize indigenous people, than
make a negative statement and make someone feel slighted
in some way.”
The fact that Springfield’s councilors did not vote on a
resolution worries Phil Carrasco, co-founder of Grupo La-
tino de Acción Directa. Carrasco says that since white su-
premacist narratives have permeated down to the local level
from the Trump administration, it is important for local gov-
ernments to confront racism.
“The importance in passing a resolution is that it estab-
lishes language that points to potential future actions on be-
half of this city government
on Kalapuya land,” he says.
“Government to govern-
ment.”
Discussion of the procla-
mation began when Leilani
Sabzalian and Ball brought
about 40 youths from Spring-
field’s Chifin Native Youth
Center to the Sept. 20, 2016,
Springfield City Council
meeting to express support
for formally recognizing In-
digenous Peoples’ Day in
Springfield.
Because only 15 minutes
is allotted for business from
the public, and a public hearing was not scheduled, only a
few were able to speak. Afterwards, Springfield city officials
worked with Sabzalian and Ball and the city’s Committee
for Diversity and Inclusion to provide a recommendation for
the council. That resulted in the proclamation, though it was
originally slated as a resolution requiring a vote.
Wording of the proclamation came from the Committee
for Diversity and Inclusion; it was inspired by other procla-
mations and resolutions, Lundberg says.
Springfield does not officially recognize Columbus Day
and neither does the state of Oregon, though it is a federally
recognized holiday.
Those pursuing
Indigenous Peoples’
Day originally
requested a
resolution.
• Giustina Land & Timber Co, 541-345-2301,
plans to hire Northwest Reforestation Services LLC,
541-520-6215, to ground spray 54.2 acres on three
units south of Fox Hollow Road; 162.1 acres on three
units near Camas Swale; 50.6 acres near Bennett
Creek; and 5.1 acres near Jones Creek with clopyralid,
sulfometuron methyl, atrazine, hexazinone, Forest
Crop Oil and/or Crop Oil Concentrate. See ODF
notifications 2017-781-02786 and 2017-781-
02857, call Brian Peterson at 541-935-2283 with
questions.
• Giustina also plans to hire the same company to
ground spray 88.9 acres on four units near Marcola
and Dexter with clopyralid, sulfometuron methyl,
atrazine, hexazinone, Forest Crop Oil and/or Crop Oil
Concentrate. See ODF notifications 2017-771-02851
and 2017-771-02785, call Tim Meehan at 541-726-
3588 with questions.
• Giustina plans to hire Western Helicopter
Services Inc., 503-538-9469, to aerially spray 31.7
acres near High Pass Road and Owens Creek with
2,4-D with amine, atrazine, hexazinone, sulfometuron
methyl, clopyralid and/or Crop Oil Concentrate. See
ODF notification 2017-781-02880, call Robin
Biesecker at 541-935-2283 with questions.
• Weyerhaeuser Company, 541-746-2511, plans
to aerially spray 303.2 acres on seven units near Fish
Creek, Low Pass Summit, High Pass Road and Lobster
Creek with clopyralid, glyphosate, hexazinone,
sulfometuron methyl, Crosshair, Grounded and/or
Foam Buster. See ODF notification 2017-781-02868,
call Robin Biesecker at 541-935-2283 with questions.
• Weyerhaeuser also plans to aerially spray 65.2
acres south of Overholser Road with glyphosate, 2,4-D
with amine, 2,4-D with ester, atrazine, sulfometuron
methyl, metsulfuron methyl, clopyralid, hexazinone,
Crosshair, Foam Buster, Induce, Grounded, Insist 90,
MSO Concentrate, No Foam, Odor Mask and/or High-
Light Blue. See ODF notification 2017-781-03150, call
Brian Peterson at 541-935-2283 with questions.
• M Three Timber, 541-767-3785, plans to
spray 59.3 acres south of Lynx Hollow Road with
clopyralid, hexazinone and/or sulfometuron methyl.
See ODF notification 2017-781-03370, call Brian
Peterson at 541-935-2283 with questions.
• David Nowak, 541-521-9933, plans to hire
Northwest Reforestation Services, 541-520-6215, to
spray 66.3 acres near McBeth Road with Polaris SP,
Polaris AC, Garlon 4 Ultra, Westar, Velpar DF, Oust XP
and/or MSO Concentrate. See ODF notification 2017-
781-01693, call Brian Peterson at 541-935-2283 with
questions.
Compiled by Gary Hale, Forestland Dwellers: 541-342-8332, for-
estlanddwellers.org
eugeneweekly.com • March 23, 2017
7