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Light At The End Of The Tunnel For Portland Harbor Superfund

Severely polluted environmental sites all around the country have been designated as Superfund sites. In Oregon, the Portland Harbor was designated such a site in 2000 after an extensive evaluation process. Human and ecological health is at risk from the chemicals that made their way into the river as a byproduct of industry and other human activity. Contaminants include heavy metals, PCBs, DDT, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAH) from fossil fuels, and phthalates , which can interfere with human hormones.

Some places, like the McCormick and Baxter site have been cleaned up already. But much of the other cleanup will not move forward until the Environmental Protection Agency comes out with final plan, known as Record of Decision. The National Remedy Review Board is meeting Wednesday and Thursday to hear from the EPA, in one of the last major meetings before a draft plan is released.

GUESTS:

OPB EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita contributed to this article.

Copyright 2020 EarthFix. To see more, visit .

<p>Travis Williams, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper holds sand from the banks of the Willamette River in the Portland Harbor.&nbsp;</p>

Allison Frost

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Travis Williams, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper holds sand from the banks of the Willamette River in the Portland Harbor. 

<p>Travis Williams stands on the concrete capped riverbank at the McCormick and Baxter site on the east side of the Willamette River in the Portland Harbor.</p>

Allison Frost

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Travis Williams stands on the concrete capped riverbank at the McCormick and Baxter site on the east side of the Willamette River in the Portland Harbor.

<p>Capped riverbank.</p>

Allison Frost

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Capped riverbank.

<p>Looking west on the bank of the Willamette River.</p>

Allison Frost

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Looking west on the bank of the Willamette River.

<p>Plastics and other trash litter on the east bank of the Willamette River on the cleaned up and capped McCormick and Baxter site.&nbsp;</p>

Allison Frost

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Plastics and other trash litter on the east bank of the Willamette River on the cleaned up and capped McCormick and Baxter site. 

Allison Frost