Port of Portland Doesn't Like EPA's Superfund Cleanup Plan Much, Either

Large harbor landowner concerns about whether cost estimates are realiistic.

By Nigel Jaquiss

The Port of Portland has concerns about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's long-awaited cleanup plan for the Superfund site in the Willamette River.

The Port is a large landowner in the polluted area and, like the industrial users and the City of Portland, will be on the hook for a share of clean-up costs.

When the EPA announced its $750 million plan on June 8—16 years after naming Portland Harbor a Superfund site—environmentalists blasted it, saying the remedy was little more than letting nature take its course, diluting and burying the toxic sludge left on the river bottom by more than of industrial processes.

The Port's frustration is different: It thinks the EPA's proposal is too broad, doesn't carefully target the most polluted spots, and is overly optimistic in its cost projections.

Port deputy director Curtis Robinhold shared his agency's concerns today with federal regulators.

Here are the highlights:

The EPA's plan and a link to to opportunity to comment can be found here. The comment period closes Aug. 8.

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