News Release
| Release Number: | 08-049 |
| Dated: | 4/14/2008 |
| Contact: | Scott Clemans, 503-808-4510 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has denied an application by the Port of Arlington, Ore., to construct a barge dock on the Columbia River near the mouth of Willow Creek.
“I understand the economic potential of this barge dock for the Port of Arlington and Gilliam County,” said Portland District Commander Col. Thomas O’Donovan. “However, the Corps must also uphold our trust responsibility to Indian Tribes to ensure that their treaty rights are given full consideration.”
The dock was intended to accept garbage from downriver cities destined for the Waste Management landfill near Arlington, and then to support future commercial activity.
Evidence presented by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation supported a finding that there is a treaty fishing site at the proposed dock location. Only Congress can authorize the taking of treaty fishing grounds.
“We are committed to working with the Port, County, Tribes and State of Oregon to explore other options for meeting the Port’s and County’s economic goals,” O’Donovan said.
The Port submitted an application to the Corps for the proposed barge dock in June 2006. The Corps issued a permit to the Port to construct the dock in February 2007.
After the Port started construction, the CTUIR alerted the Corps to concerns about the project’s potential impacts to cultural resources and treaty fishing sites, and SHPO recommended that a cultural resources survey be conducted.
The Corps, after consultation with the CTUIR, asked the Port to suspend work on the site in question, which the Port voluntarily agreed to do.
The Corps then formally suspended the permit in April 2007 to conduct additional research into the existence of cultural resources and treaty fishing sites, the impact of the project if any existed, and the availability of alternate sites.
“We made a good-faith effort to consult with the Tribes about this project, as we do about all such projects,” O’Donovan said. “There were obviously communication breakdowns this time, but we have made changes to our tribal involvement process to ensure timely consultation in the future.”