Art project displays
The Wizard of Oz
dog statues in St. Helens
TODAY’S WEATHER Clear Highs to 78 Page 11 Lows to 53
comes to St. Helens Page A12
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Classified Ads A9-10 • Legal Notices A10 • Obituaries A6 • Out & About A7 • Calendar A7 • TV Guide A8 • Weather A12
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
The Chronicle www.thechronicleonline.com
Waterfront development:
$1 Vol. 134, No. 28 14 Pages
City may fill wastewater lagoon
BY CODY MANN cmann@countrymedia.net
The City of St. Helens is looking for ways to change its waterfront for the future. Among the possibilities, filling the wastewater treatment lagoon with sediment and soil dredged from the Portland Harbor Superfund site. Having already acquired two project locations for the waterfront redevelopment plan – a pair of former Boise mill sites – city officials are also considering development plans for the site that is currently home to the City of St. Helens Wastewater Treatment Plant. By purchasing the disused Boise Veneer Mill site next to the historic riverfront district and Boise White Paper Mill site connected to the veneer property, the city obtained more than 200 acres of waterfront property. The city plans to transform the area with a riverfront trail and boardwalk, create better connections with Highway 30, and is aiming to draw private investment and economic development. City Administrator John Walsh said the development plans include evaluating the possibility of filling in the 40-acre wastewater lagoon at the treatment plant with sediment and soil from regional sources that would generate revenue for the city in the form of dumping fees. The move might bring in enough funding to allow for the city build a new wastewater treatment plant, thereby creating a developable space that could become prime waterfront real estate. Walsh said the wastewater treatment plant is oversized for its current use without the input it once had from the paper mill, what was some 38-million gallons flowing through each day. Without the mill, the flow is estimated around 2-3 million gallons per day. With the ongoing efforts to redevelop the waterfront area near the wastewater treatment plant, considering its
DON PATTERSON/The Chronicle
Development plans include possibly filling the 40-acre wastewater lagoon at the treatment plant with sediment and soil from regional sources that would generate revenue for the city in the form of dumping fees.
consideration for use as filler. The material used to fill the lagoon could be brought from river dredging and cleanup projects such as the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, maintenance and widening projects in the Multnomah Channel, and other similar sources of sediment in the region. Soil would also come from regional cleanup sites such as commercial properties undergoing development. Sediment that is deemed
relocation certainly makes sense at least in terms of aesthetic appeal. “Filling it in allows so much opportunity for more public improvements, public benefit,” Walsh said. “Connectivity, sports fields or more housing or more business – whatever you want to do there.” Walsh said nonhazardous sediment and soil that is removed from cleanup sites is among the material under
hazardous must be transported to a designated facility such as the one in Arlington, Ore. “If it’s safe, this material potentially provides enough revenue to solve a lot of community problems,” Walsh said. He added that the city was open to considering many different sources of filler material that would be “revenue positive.” The Portland Harbor Superfund
site is a $746 million cleanup project overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, targeting a section of the Willamette River where industrial use led to built-up contaminants. The proposed cleanup plan looks to combine dredging, capping and enhanced natural recovery during an initial seven-year period.
See LAGOON, Page A4
Habitat plan has some neighbors up in arms Local law enforcement reacts to national police attacks
BY DON PATTERSON dpatterson@countrymedia.net
An Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration plan for major fish habitat restoration at the former Columbia Stock Ranch on Deer Island has a group of landowners concerned. Many of the group own properties adjoining the proposed project or belong to the Deer Island Drainage Improvement District, which must give its approval for the project to proceed. The project is expected to cost up to $15.1 million. Objections to the project are numerous and varied. They range from the impact on landowners, costs to the drainage district, and preservation of historic structures. Some even question the effectiveness of the project at achieving its primary goal of enhancing fish habitat. The clash of opinions was no more apparent than at a July 8 meeting with
landowners, where project managers heard multiple concerns from nearby landowners. On one hand, the Corps staff; educated, young professionals charged with executing a plan developed to satisfy, sometimes-contradictory goals of multiple governmental agencies. On
Columbia Stock Ranch.
the other, older, savvy residents who have lived in the area for generations and know the subtleties of the land from first-hand observation. Using BPA supplied money, Columbia Land Trust bought the 920
See HABITAT, Page A4
DON PATTERSON/The Chronicle
sociation’s Executive Director John Bishop said the attacks underscore the danger of the profession. “The attacks are another reminder that we have a dangerous job,” he said. Bishop said he hasn’t seen any major change of policy or new equipment added to law enforcement agencies in Oregon following the police attacks. But he said there is more awareness among police officers and sheriff’s deputies of the danger they may face on each call for service. “I am sure their supervisors are telling them to be more aware of what’s going on around them,” he said. “Vigilance is always critical and not becoming lax and not becoming unaware of our surroundings is very important,” St. Helens Police Chief Terry Moss said. Columbia County Undersheriff
BY JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Oregon law enforcement agencies are reacting with sadness to the recent police attacks in Dallas, Texas and across the nation. The Oregon State Sheriff’s Association released a statement this week that reads in part: “These tragic events have deeply affected the law enforcement profession. All Oregon law enforcement officers took an oath to safeguard the citizens of the communities they serve. They are true professionals who will remain vigilant in keeping our communities and their fellow officers safe! We want to thank Oregonians for taking time to express their support for our brave police officers here and around the nation.” The Oregon State Sheriff’s As
See POLICE, Page A5
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