EPA Overflows with Enforcement
Maria Thi Mai
Why has the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) given Portland more enforcement attention than other cities? Last week, Jim Barnett, Washington correspondent for The Oregonian, delved into this question and found some interesting discoveries which are noted in his article "EPA Shifts to Hardball with Portland" .
Portlanders are pretty 'green sensitive when it comes to wanting to do their part to keep our rates down. Almost every day, someone calls and asks what can I do to help clean our rivers. And we've got lots of options for them - from disconnecting their downspouts to reducing pollutants into storm drains. Along with what individuals are doing, Portland leads the nation with the "big pipe" and other compliance projects. With most of what we are doing, we've not received any debt relief from the federal government. We'll look forward to bringing this to the attention of our Oregon delegates at our upcoming Sewer and Water Town hall scheduled for May 15.
While the City has had a long relationship with EPA, Sam, Dean, and I met with Michael Bogert shortly after he was appointed as Regional Director for EPA's Seattle office. With an affinity for Diet Coke and collaborative negotiations, we have begun a conversation that will hopefully avoid a consent decree and undue costs. We believe we can come to a resolution that will be a win win for both EPA and Portland. Stay tuned.
Posted by Maria Thi Mai on April 6, 2006
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Filed Under Environmental Services, Front Page, Livability & Environment
Comments by site visitors
Sam,
I find it remarkable that the EPA would even think about threatening legal action against Portland when we have done so much work - that they signed off on! - to contain our CSO's. The ratepayers of Portland - who tend to only blame the City for their high sewer bills - should be outraged at the Federal Government for this treatment. Please keep up the good work in fighting this potential lawsuit.
Posted by: Stephen | Apr 11, 2006 5:37:54 PM
Sam:
I'm shocked the EPA would make Portland comply with the same clean water regulations as the rest of the U.S.
Don't they know how MUCH WE CARE?
Don't they know we don't actually drink water from the river? Don't they know that Cryptosporidium only happens in other places, to other people, who don't have squirrels and deer and bears that are anywhere near as hygenic as the wildlife found in Bull Run. Even our wildlife care more here in Oregon!
Posted by: Alice | Apr 11, 2006 9:26:48 PM
Oh, "Alice," I can tell you really care about Portland!
Posted by: Smarkle | Apr 11, 2006 9:31:49 PM
Is there no federal funds to provide clean water to Americans? Why is Portland spending over a billion on the Big Pipe with no Fed help? Portlanders are streached to the limit and the Fed is demanding Portland now do more.
I'm am a huge MAX supporter, but if the Fed is willing to send us hundreds of millions of dollars to ease our freeways through rail and additional lanes, why are they not providing us assistance for our underground infratructure also?
Posted by: MarkDaMan | Apr 12, 2006 9:43:15 AM
Sam, I know we are trying, but why doesn't the city enforce it's own regs as well as state and fed in regards to all the sewage dumping occurring in our urban streams where there are sewer trunk lines placed right in our stream beds? There are leaks in these trunk lines everywhere in the city which other posts have described for you. Decades have done by with the city knowing about these infractions. I know, we got to build the tram, make Burnside a couplet, build a convention hotel.....
Posted by: lw | Apr 15, 2006 6:34:16 PM
I think having a conversation on Supplemental Environmental projects would be a good way to go around the CSO-fine issue. It could be a way of paying for a community project and building a relationship with the EPA. EJAG would be happy to help facilitate this process.
Posted by: Jeri Sundvall-Williams | May 6, 2006 4:49:45 PM
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This blog is overflowing too, but it doesn't smell like enforcement.
I never thought I'd see the day when the City of Portland would be rallying the troops for a fight with the EPA.
Posted by: Alice | Apr 6, 2006 10:34:44 PM