Green Side Up
Maria Thi Mai
"Remember, green side up," Governor Kulongoski says with a smile as he is seen here watching Sam dig a hole for one of the 10,000 trees that were planted last Saturday. Sam and I joined Michael Bogert, EPA, Stephanie Hallock, DEQ, Travis Williams, Willamette River Keepers, Cheryl Kennedy, Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde, and a cast of hundreds to commemorate more than a decade of clean up at the McCormick and Baxter Superfund Site.
All of this was after visiting dozens of Friends of Trees volunteers that came out in full force to plant trees in North Portland Neighborhoods (Beaumont-Wilshire, Concordia and Cully). A big thanks to Mariah Mickman, Jordan McCann, Matthew Arnold and a host of other good hearted planters. The Trib noted the group "taking root".
McCormick and Baxter Brief History: From the 1940s to 1990s, this produced chemically treated wood products such as utility poles. The creosote, arsenic, pentachlorophenol and other hazardous substances contaminated the soils, groundwater and river. These toxins became a national priority (superfund site) in 1994. We walked on and the other at the former McCormick and Baxter site.
Download 021106_friends_of_trees_media_alert.pdf
Download 021106_superfund_tree_planting_remarks.pdf
Download 021106_mccormick_and_baxter_qa.pdf
Posted by Maria Thi Mai on February 14, 2006
(2) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under Environmental Services, Events, Front Page, Livability & Environment
Comments by site visitors
Nice job Andi!
I am looking forward to the day when I can ride through that area on the new north Portland Willamette Greenway Trail!
Posted by: Lenny Anderson | Feb 21, 2006 8:53:20 AM
Post your comment
Please note: your email address, although required to post, will not be visible. We remove inappropriate or offensive content, and content deemed improper by State and City election and ethics law. The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of the office or the City of Portland.
This was a fabulous event and as Event Planting Coordinator, I would also like to recognize volunteers representing the following organizations who helped staff the event...Willamette Riverkeeper, BES Revegetation Program, DEQ's Volunteers in Action, BES Superfund Program, Friends of Trees and SOLV. Thank you to these folks who assisted over 150 community volunteers to plant 3000 natives.
Posted by: Andi Gresh | Feb 14, 2006 5:08:57 PM