Stakeholders can learn the latest about the Port of Columbia County’s plans to clean up the former Pope & Talbot wood treating site at an upcoming open house scheduled for Oct. 30 in Columbia City, Ore.
From 1912 to 1960, Pope & Talbot operated a wood treatment site at 1550 Railroad Ave. in St. Helens before the port bought the property in 1963. The port and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have been working to evaluate site contamination and come up with a plan for cleaning it up.
In 2023, the environmental quality department approved cleanup recommendations for upland and in-water creosote contamination. To help fund the cleanup, the port plans to apply for a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The open house is scheduled for 6 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at Port of Columbia County, 100 E St., Columbia City. The event is also available on Zoom. The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85636162333 with PASSCODE: 281861.
From Oct. 30 to Nov. 13, the public may view and weigh in on the draft EPA grant application, available at www.portofcolumbiacounty.org. Written comments can be submitted to inquiries@portofcolumbiacounty.org.
For more, visit the DEQ’s Scappoose Bay Cleanup Work and the DEQ’s Environmental Cleanup Site Information page.
