The INDEPENDENT, April 17, 2008
Hazardous cleanup a huge success
The Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) com-
pleted a week’s worth of haz-
ardous waste identification and
cleanup that started Monday,
March 31. See picture page 1.
Loren Garner, of DEQ, pro-
vided the following information
from the cleanup and the three
day household hazardous
waste event held in Vernonia:
A total of 2757 containers
were collected and processed,
including:
• 19 tanks larger than 55 gal-
lons (five additional tanks were
recovered from the floodplain
and returned to property own-
ers, not counted in the 19),
• 65 steel and plastic 55 gal-
lon drums (waste oil was the
most common substance in the
drums, after river water or emp-
ty),
• 516 containers larger than
one gallon but smaller than 55
gallons,
• 2157 containers one gallon
or smaller.
Included in the counts
above, the three days of the
Household Hazardous Waste
event netted a total of 1010
containers. There were approx-
imately 475 additional items
picked up from ad hoc events
at the Mist SW transfer site and
Fishhawk Lake, and some spe-
cific pickups of flood-impacted
materials from the City of Ver-
nonia and the Mist-Birkenfeld
Fire District.
Of the 2757 containers col-
lected, 1485 were from the
Household Hazardous Waste
event and the other 1272 were
recovered from the Nehalem
River and floodplain.
A boat assessment crew
floated 30 miles of the Nehalem
River from River Mile (RM) 99
to RM 69. This took the crew
from just below Clear Creek to
about halfway between Mist
and Birkenfeld.
Land-based teams evaluat-
ed accessible debris piles and
flood plain areas on foot from
approximately RM 101 at Clear
Creek to RM 54 near the
Northrup Creek confluence, a
total of 47 river miles. Crews
also assessed the Fishhawk
Lake flood area.
Additionally, a few items
from outside the assessment
areas were identified by people
who called them in and by driv-
ing roads adjacent to the river,
looking for debris fields and
talking with local fire or police
agencies. DEQ drove from RM
0 at Nehalem to RM 9 above
Mohler (where the bridge was
out), RM 38 at Hwy 26 at Jew-
ell Junction to RM 108 at Hwy
26 at Timber Junction – a total
of 79 miles of the river.
The largest items removed
were 1000 gallon tanks. One
2000 gallon tank was found, left
from the 1996 flood, and left in
place after it was determined to
contain only water and not to
pose a threat that justified the
cost of removal.
Two heating oil tanks found
during the cleanup will be re-
turned to the owners if they can
be identified. If your heating oil
tank floated away, call Susan at
Columbia County Flood Relief,
503-429-4948, to identify it and
get it returned.
Sword to speak at next Museum Talk
On Sunday, April 27, the
Vernonia Pioneer Museum will
host its first Museum Talk of
2008. Bill Sword will discuss
the early days of logging and
describe the logging displays
housed at the Museum. This
event will be held at 2:00 p.m.
at the Vernonia Pioneer Muse-
um, 555 E. Bridge St. Come
hear about life among the old
time “Ax Men”.
The Museum continues its
regular winter hours (1:00 to
4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and
Sundays) through May.
The next Museum Board
meeting is Wednesday, April
23, at 7:00 p.m. All members
and supporters of the museum
80 Years Ago in Vernonia
There was a library in Ver-
nonia prior to February of 1928,
with a librarian who was paid
$25.00 a month for five days of
work. Papers on file at the li-
brary, provided by Librarian
Nancy Burch, record the fact
that the Vernonia Public Library
became official on February 21,
1928, when the following reso-
lution was passed by the Ver-
nonia City Council:
WHEREAS, the City Council
is desirous of establishing,
equiping and maintaining a free
public library for the City of Ver-
nonia, and
Please see page 10
are welcome to attend. As al-
ways, new members are wel-
comed, especially new volun-
teers. Let us know if you can
spare an occasional Saturday
or Sunday afternoon. You don’t
have to be an expert in Vernon-
ia history to help out. Contact
us at vpma@agalis.net or leave
a telephone message at 503-
429-3713.
Home of
Northwest
Microbrews,Wines,
Sandwiches,
Coffees,
Smoothies
& More
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
First, I
think I’ll
gripe. I
k n o w
many of
y o u
readers
are suf-
fering
with me
because not everyone has
Dish, TIVO, or other costly
hook-ups, just plain old Cable
T.V. and we are thankful for it.
BUT, have you noticed more
lately that changing from one
channel to another (at the end
of the one you are watching
and want to see the end) by the
time you switch, the new pro-
gram is into about two or three
minutes of the viewing. (Exam-
ple, from Ch. 2 to Ch. 16.) If
you want to see the end of one
you have to give up the begin-
ning of the other. Your T.V.
Guide (in some instances) tells
you a program starts at 9:58
while the program you’re
watching (a local channel) the
climax is on till 9:59-1/2. It’s too
bad East and West time zones
have a different idea of what
constitutes a one hour pro-
gram.
If you decided to stay home
from the live entertainment at
the Grange Hall on Saturday,
April 5, presented by the
“Home School Group”, you
missed two very well presented
and performed plays by a
group of aspiring young actors
and actresses. “Heidi” was very
entertaining. The entire cast
was on “Q” at all times. The
second play, “The Ugly Duck-
ling” was a very pleasant sur-
prise (it’s the first time I’d ever
heard it was not about a swan).
I really can’t say anything but
kudos for all of the performers.
But the King, Ethan Hardy, has
found his niche (acting), his
presentation of the character
kept my attention. He was very
convincing. Desperate in trying
to accomplish a point without
being exposed in the farce. He
was the STAR.
Because the audience was
invited to visit and intermingle
during the intermission, the
Vernonia Orchestra was not re-
ally heard or seen. I did enjoy
what I was able to hear,
though. I suggest you bring
them back some time with full
and proper introduction and
program.
Oh yes – now that the “lily
pads” are beginning to show
their pretty green heads at the
lake, did anyone but me see
the ad in the March ‘08 issue of
the Ruralite? Page 27 - Catalog
& Mail Order Shopping. The ad
says, “Kill Lake Weeds” (lilies
and sea weed), does not harm
fish. It gives a toll-free number
and address. Registered with
the Federal Environmental Pro-
tection Agency.
Hello – someone wake up,
the pond is slowly (oh, yeah)
being eaten up by the lily. I
want to enjoy the lake, fish and
birds, not slime and mosqui-
toes.
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