News Release
| Release Number: | 08-148 |
| Dated: | 9/18/2008 |
| Contact: | Jennifer A. Sowell, 503-808-4510 |
Interim dredging action planned
PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has suspended work on the Willamette River Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) pending the outcome of the Portland Harbor Superfund Clean-up investigation.
The Willamette River DMMP is a long-term plan for continued maintenance of the existing federal navigation channel. Over the past several years, the Corps has completed or worked on a number of studies related to this project, with dredging originally anticipated to commence in 2009. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency has overseen studies of the Portland Harbor Superfund site; a cleanup remedy for the Harbor site is expected from EPA in 2010. With many decisions still to be made by EPA on harbor-wide cleanup, the Corps has decided to suspend development of the long-term maintenance plan at this time.
The lack of maintenance dredging in the last ten years presents a hazard to navigation and impacts access to Willamette River terminals and berths. Therefore the Corps is planning an interim dredging action that will address one significantly shoaled site at Post Office Bar at river mile 2. The permitting process required for this action will ultimately determine the appropriate disposition of dredged material, but it is anticipated that the material will be placed upland in an existing approved material handling location, such as those used for recent terminal and berth dredging projects. Work has begun on an Environmental Assessment of this project; a draft of which is expected by early 2009.