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PAID
Portland, OR
Permit No. 1610
University o f Oregon
Knight Library
Newspaper Section
I Eugene OR 97403
Volume XXX.
Number 15
Wednesday
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
50e
April 12,2000
Industrial dumping in the Willamette has doubled in 2 years
“Things are getting worse in the Willamette,” said the
report’s co-author, Joe Coffman, a Willamette Riverkeeper
board mem ber. “These toxics are not m onitored
consistently.”
Coffman’s report and the research group’s rankings relied
on the latest Toxic Release Inventory data compiled by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The inventory
tracks releases of more than 650 pollutants'as they are
reported by industries and city wastewater treatment
plants.
According to the reports, metal producers, high-tech firms
and pulp and wood products industries accounted for the
bulk o f the discharges. Wacker Siltronic in Portland and
Oremet-Wah Chang and Oregon Metallurgical in Albany
topped the list, each discharging about I million pounds
in 1997.
Nitrate compounds are commonly found in fertilizers as
well, but agricultural and residential runoff were not part
of the scope o f the research group’s study.
Wacker Siltronic environmental manager Tom McCue
said the com pany’s discharges stem from its use of nitric
acid to rid silicon wafers o f oxides. The DEQ does not limit
the com pany’s nitrate discharges, McCue said, and the
Company and the city o f Portland have not determined
whether the city's sewer system can handle the waste.
“W e’re trying to do things right." McCue said. “(Nitrate)
As if word o f declining salmon runs and a possible
Superfund listing w eren’t bad enough, the Willamette
Rivertook another hit Thursday as environmental groups
released a report showing industrial and wastewater
discharges doubling within the river system in recent
years.
The nonprofit Willamette Riverkeeper’s “State o f the
W illamette” report found industrial sources reported
sending 4.1 million pounds o f toxic chemicals down the
riverin 1997,compared with about2million in 1995.Nitrate
compounds — nitrates, nitrites and ammonia used in
high-tech manufacturing and pulp mill wastewater
treatment — accounted for about 85 percent o f that
increase. Manganese compounds, methanol and copper
discharge levels also rose.
The results, gleaned from federal data, have led the U.S.
Public Interest Research Group to rank the Willamette
River as the nation’s 10th worst for toxic chemical
discharges from identifiable sources, up from 17th last
year.
Environmentalists used the report to call on state
legislators to boost funding for the Oregon Department
ofEnviron-
mental Quality so the agency can phase out all toxic
discharges by 2010 and bring the river into compliance'
with the federal Clean Water Act.
(Please see 'D um ping' page A5)
Free gun locks still available from Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office
EO r T h E PO R TLAND O BSER VER
Free firearm triggers locks are being
distributed to adults who come to the
a d m in istra tio n o ffic e o f the
Multnomah County Sheriffs. The
locks are limited to one per person.
G etting a gunlock is an easy as
stopping by the office at 12240 NE
A Multnomah County
Sheriffs officer explains
the use o f the free
gunlocks that they are
offering to the public.
Glisan between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
requesting one.
The sheriff s office has about 500
gunlocks available and has given out
4,5 0 0 to d a te .
T he lo c k s, in
c o m b in a tio n w ith e d u c a tio n a l
materials, are intended to promote
safe handling and secure storage
practices among all firearms owners.
According to the Oregon Health
Division, 22,000 Oregon children live
in homes where firearms are loaded
and unlocked.
T he N atio n al S ports S hooting
Foundation, a trade organization
consisting o f firearm manufacturers,
distributors and retailers, is providing
the gun locks to the Multnomah
County Sheriff to distribute to citizens
as part o f Project Home Safe.
“Our goal istoreachouttoall firearm
owners with key safety messages on
safe firearms handling and storage,"
said Douglas Painter, executive
director o f the N ational Sports
Shooting Foundation.
The gun cable device, which works
like a traditional padlock, is placed
through a firearm barrel or magazine
holder so that the weapon can't be
fired until it is unlocked.
I’m excited about this partnership,”
said Dan Noelle, sheriffofMuitnomah
County. “I strongly believe that
providing gun locks will prevent
tragedies. These locks can be used
with education, should hopefully
reduce the risk o f unintentional
firearm-related inj uries or deaths.
For more information about free
gunlocks available from Multnomah
County Sheriff sOfficecall.255-3600
x607 or visit the Sheri I f s Web site at
www.co.multnomah.or.us/sheriff/
Hail to the Portland's new Chief of Police
bï J o i B amos
uiTutPoRii asu O bslkmr
Just several months into his job, new
ChiefofPolice Mark Kroeker outlined
for the Portland Observer his long
range plans to reduce crime and the
fear o f crime. His effectiveness as a
leader will be based on how well he
deals with hard policing issues and
m aking th e in te rn a l c h an g es
necessary to create good community
relations where police accountability
can be measured. The hope is that he
doesn't foster a culture among his
officers that supports misconduct,
silence, h e a v y -h an d ed n ess and
disrespect. After all, he has served in
a troubled Los A ngeles police
department described by the national
Human Rights Watch as “a bureau
that has for decades shown brutal
behavior, poor management by the
chief and his deputies, and racist
attitudes expressed at all levels o f the
police department in word and deed.”
During an interview, he idealistically
explained, “My responsibility to the
com m unity here is to lead this
organization toward notable goals in
service to our community. On the
professional side, we have several
guiding lights out there including our
vision for the city o f Portland such as
a city that is free from crime and the
fear o f crim e, a city that has
neighborhoods that work together
with one another in improving the
quality o f life. A city where people
have an unprecedented w orking
relationship with their police-w here
this is built in the years ahead where
there is a confidence in police that is
unprecedented.”
A focus ofthe police department is to
“ d e v e lo p p a tro l (o r c itiz e n
Friday
Weather
Rain
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Through the weekend
Today
70°F/21°C Saturday
50°F /7°C
Rain
Partly
Cloudy
Thursday
66°F/18°C
43° F /3 °F
Rain
*
S»II(1ay
Showers
Z»7Z*7
relationship) w here the officers
explain what they are doing after their
work is done.” commented Kroeker.
What is seriously lacking among field
training officers are enough problem
solving skills todeesealatepotentially
explosive situations. As part o f their
socialization process, they need to
d e m o n stra te e th ic a l, re a so n e d
decision-making.
Police officers are required by their
chiefto enforce the law fairly, firmly
and according to the problems that
are out there. Anything less would
only solidify anger, hopelessness and
fear that leads to violence, especially
am o n g m in o ritie s th ro u g h o u t
Portland that have been subject to
and are highly sensitive to police
abuse. According to the city’s Office
o f Risk Management, the city pays
approximately $500,000 each year in
police misconduct eases through
60°F/14°C
45°F /5°C
61°F/21°C
45°F /5°C
61°F/19°C
45°F /5°C
«
settlements or jury awards. According
to press reports, twenty-five to thirty
excessive force claims are filed each
year in this city. An effective policy
forChiefK roekerto adopt is denying
promotions to any officers who have
received a specified number ofcitizen
complaints within a given period o f
time. Each complaint should be
internally investigated. And. if the
complaints are adjudicated adversely, •
dism iss the officer as a consequence.
According to many observers, the
Portland Police Association union is
apowerful forcetoreckon with. They
have frequently defended officers
accused o f using excessive force,
critieizedjoumalistsand citizen review
boards o f highlighting problems in
the bureau. Correcting this would
entail a police system that has
(Please see 'C h ie f page A5)
Inside-A
Week in Review...................2
Mayor Vera Katz discusses
escort services........................2
Old eyeglasses are a gift of
sight to poor........................... 3
One in seven women doestically
abused in Multnomah..............5
Portland C hief o f Police Mark Kroeker
Metro-B
Jefferson High School dancers
in the spotlight..........................1
Ken Griffey Jr. youngest to
reach 400 HR's...................... 1
IRS decides to extend due date
to April 17............................... 4
El Observador....................... 5
April 14. 1865, President Lincoln was shot
and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth
while attending the comedy “Our American
Cousin” al Lord's Theater in Washington.
D C He died the next day.
On April 15, 1912, the British luxury liner
Titanic sank in the North A tla n tic o ff
Newfoundland, less than three hours after
striking an iceberg. About 1.500 people died.
On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained
Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of
Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to
overthrow the govern, 'ent of Fidel Castro
I