Portland, Oregon, in recent
years, has become almost synonymous with hipsters. Among other things, the city
is known for biking, our beautiful forests, sustainability, and of course, the
river. In fact, one of the city’s many nicknames is Bridgetown, after the many
bridges that stretch across the Willamette River. The river is such a big part
of Portland that it’s an almost integral piece of the “Portland experience;” no
visit to the city is complete without a stroll down the Portland waterfront. That
makes it all the more tragic to acknowledge that the Willamette River has an
ongoing pollution problem.
The sad truth is that this
pollution is nothing new. Over a hundred years of industry on the river have, “left
toxic contaminants in the soil and river sediments downstream from downtown
Portland” (OPB).
Much of the pollution originated from things like, “ship builders, wood
treatment plants and lumber mills, steelmakers, bulk fuel storage facilities,
pound gas production, chemical manufacturing and sewer overflows” (OPB).
This was recognized as a problem as early on as the 1800’s when, “the people of
early Portland complained that the river was unfit to drink from as a result of
the City’s sewage discharges,” but the pollution wasn’t actually visible until
the 1930’s (River Keeper).
Real change, however, did not occur until the late 1960’s when the Governor Tom
McCall spearheaded the effort to clean up the river. He was originally a
reporter, but when he began, “working with the Legislature, McCall fought for
cleaning the Willamette of its sewage and industrial waste. And less than a
decade later, succeeded in clearing the water and returning lost salmon runs to
the tributaries of the Willamette” (Griffith).
These efforts, along with the recently completed Big Pipe Project that helped
divert sewer and storm water runoff to treatment facilities, played a large roll
in restoring the Willamette River to the way it is today.
Despite these efforts, the original
problem remains in the form of heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals that
still coat the river bottom. It is a lingering remnant of the many decades of
abuse that the river suffered. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality,
or the DEQ, eventually determined, “that the contamination is causing more
toxicity among aquatic organisms and is bioaccumulating in fish tissue. The
contaminated soil is subject to erosion into the river” (Law).
In a nutshell, this means that leftover pollution deeply embedded within the river
soil is continuously seeping into the water. It can harm fish and other
wildlife, contaminate soil that the river runs through, and eventually harm
human beings. This isn’t a problem that can wait another hundred years.
Fortunately, there are a few
different ways to reduce the current pollution. The least drastic method
involves allowing nature to eventually cover the contamination with clean
sediment, but quicker solutions involve capping the contaminated soil with a
clean layer of sand and soil. The most effective and drastic measure involves
dredging, or digging p the contaminated soil and replacing it with cleaner
materials. The DEQ eventually decided to employ a combination of these methods.
For example, in late 2014 they ordered the Evraz Oregon Steel Mills to remove
the soil along a section of the Willamette River. They specified that, “Evraz
must dig down one to five feet below the surface to remove soil contaminated
with PCBs and metals, and cover the site with rive rock,” as well as, “removed
contaminated soil in steeper portions of the river banks that are susceptible to
erosion, and cap and stabilize the river bank using “geotextile” fabric and
rock” (Law).
This project will not only cost a lot of money, but it will also take quite
some time for it to be completed. It is comforting, however, to know that there
is hope for the Willamette River.
There is a lot of work to be
done before the river is truly clean, but a variety of organizations have
dedicated themselves to helping. If you’re interested in becoming part of the
change, visit the Willamette River Keeper.
They dedicate their time to supporting research, patrolling the river, and
teaching young students how to appreciate it. Their efforts may not be as drastic
as dredging whole sections of the river, but every bit of sweat and effort will
help restore Portland’s natural landmark to its former glory.
Sources:
Griffith: http://www.willamette.edu/~karabas/courses/envr327w/projects/2001proj/POLLUTIONFrame-5.html
Willamette River Keeper: http://www.willamette-riverkeeper.org/WRK/pollution.html
Image Sources: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willamette_River_Portland_Oregon.jpg
http://www.travelportland.com/things-to-do/
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/20140605/news-briefs/pollution-visible-again-river-near-halsey
Author: Hanna Bernhard, 2015
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