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Cleanup Work
EPA is cleaning up contamination resulting from a century of industrial activity in Portland Harbor. It will take at least a decade to:
- learn about the extent of the pollution
- choose the best methods for cleaning up the river, and
- complete all the needed cleanup work
EPA is working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, other state and federal agencies and six tribes to study contamination and develop plans to clean up river sediment and control sources of pollution from nearby land. The Memorandum of Understanding (14 pages, 72 KB pdf) dated February 8, 2001, explains the different roles of agencies and trustees involved in the project.
A coalition of businesses and public agencies known as the Lower Willamette Group came forward to participate in the investigation of the Portland Harbor site. EPA and members of the Lower Willamette Group have a legal agreement called an Administrative Order on Consent (50 pages, 91 KB pdf) docket number CERCLA-10-2004-0009 and Statement of Work, (41 pages, 91 KB pdf)both dated September 2001, which outlines how a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study will be prepared, who will perform the work and how EPA will recover costs incurred by the the EPA and DEQ.
In some cases, EPA needs to take quick action to protect human health or remove a known source of contamination to the river. These cleanup projects are sometimes called "early actions," since they are completed early in the investigation and cleanup process. You can go to the EPA web page for each early cleanup area to learn more about work currently in progress at Portland Harbor:
[ Main Cleanup | Brownfields ]
[ Superfund | FOIA | Records Center ]
Point of contact: Judy Smith
E-Mail: smith.judy@epa.gov
Phone Number: (503) 326-6994
Last Updated: 08/14/2007
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