PGE to implement Willamette River Sediment Cleanup near the Hawthorne Bridge
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Consent Judgment finalizing an agreement with Portland General Electric calling for PGE to cap a distinct area of contaminated sediments on the east bank of the Willamette River just upstream of the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland, OR.
PGE completed an investigation of sediments and a subsequent analysis of cleanup options for this area of the river. In April of 2015, DEQ issued a Record of Decision which determined that contaminated sediments, impacted mainly by historic industrial practices in the area, will be covered with clean sand and river rock, effectively isolating the contamination from people and wildlife that could be exposed.
Placement of the sediment cap will be conducted with a barge based crane. Cleanup activities are scheduled to begin the week of July 24, 2017 and run through Sept. 15, 2017. The Portland Boathouse light watercraft dock will be temporarily closed during portions of this work.
This action is separate and distinct from studies and cleanup options being evaluated for the Portland Harbor Superfund site, which is located farther north on the Willamette River, between the Broadway Bridge and Sauvie Island.
To access site summary information and other documents in the DEQ Environmental Cleanup Site Information database, go to:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/Webdocs/Forms/Output/FPController.ashx?SourceId=5249&SourceIdType=11
Contacts:
Matthew Van Sickle, Public Information Officer, DEQ, Portland, 503-229-6044, vansickle.matthew@deq.state.or.us
Dave Lacey, Cleanup Program, DEQ, Portland, 503-229-5354, lacey.david@deq.state.or.us
Paul Seidel, Cleanup Program Manager, DEQ, Portland, 503-229-5614, seidel.paul@deq.state.or.us