March Community Information Session schedule set, release of Portland Harbor Cleanup Suggested Project to follow in April
(Seattle - March 3, 2016) Throughout the month of March, the E.P.A. will continue hosting community information sessions as the Agency prepares to deliver key cleanup documents for public review in April. The public is encouraged to review the updated calendar and attend the sessions that are most convenient.
When the Suggested Project is released the public will have an opportunity to review the Project during the formal 60-day public review period. Public meetings will be scheduled during this formal public review period during which E.P.A. will gain oral or written public comments. Comments may also be submitted electronically or via postal mail until the review period closes. The Public meeting schedule is still being confirmed.
The Lower Willamette River runs through the heart of Portland and is a treasured natural resource. Portland Harbor - or the section of the River between the Broadway Bridge and Sauvie Island - has contaminants on the bottom and banks which are harmful to people, fish and wildlife.
For the past decade, E.P.A. and the Lower Willamette Group have been evaluating where these contaminants are found and the health risks they pose. E.P.A. is now using the best science accessible to create a Project to make Portland Harbor a cleaner, healthier place to live, work and play. Once the Suggested Project is finished, it will be released to the public for a 60-day review period.
According to Dennis McLerran, E.P.A. Northwest Regional Administrator, the most effective and helpful comments will be those which the community submits after reviewing the Suggested Project when it is released in April.
"We know that strong community involvement builds better cleanups," said EPA's McLerran. "When our Suggested cleanup Project is released in April, we encourage everyone to let us know what they think. We'll consider and respond to all the comments we gain before we deliver the final cleanup Project at the end of the year. We believe all voices should be heard as we chart the future of the Lower Willamette."
Through this public review period (April-May), E.P.A. will offer a series of public meetings. During these meetings, E.P.A. will discuss the Suggested plan, answer questions and accept formal comments. E.P.A. will then respond to all formal public comments after the review period ends and consider them in making a final decision.
The public is encouraged to attend one of the final E.P.A. information sessions to hear EPA:
+ Provide background on Portland Harbor
+ Discuss why the cleanup is important to you, your family and your neighbors
+ Explain why your input is so important and how you can get involved
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSIONS SCHEDULE FOR MARCH:
Thursday March 3, Webinar Community Information Session │ 7:00pm |
REGISTER NOW!
Thursday March 17, Gray's Landing (Community Room)
0650 SW Lowell Street, Portland OR. (Near the Old Spaghetti Factory on the SW waterfront)
Open House │ 6:30-7pm. Community Information Session │ 7-8:30pm.
Wednesday, March 23, Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)
10301 Nebraska Glisan Street, Portland OR.
Open House │ 6:30-7pm. Community Information Session │ 7-8:30pm.
Saturday March 26, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
1945 SE Water Ave, Portland OR.
Open House │ 11:30am-12noon. Community Information Session │12noon-1:30pm.
This session will feature a graphic facilitator who will capture community values via artistic illustrations.
For more about the Portland Harbor cleanup and the latest meeting schedule, please consult EPA's website at
http://go.usa.gov/3Wf2B.
For tips and suggestions for making effective public comments on the Suggested Plan:
http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-04/documents/making-your-voice-heard.pdf
