Rape of Hayden Island gets DEQ blessing (Jack Bog's Blog)

Screw the bald eagles -- the Goldschmidt people at the Port of Portland smell the money. This just in from the Save the West Hayden Island Facebook page:

DEQ let us know this afternoon that they will allow the Port to place contaminated dredge materials from Post Office Bar on WHI for the explicit purpose of preparing WHI for industrial development. We managed to stop this dumping last fall and DEQ held an extra couple of hearings this spring to "reconsider" but it never seemed anything other than a forgone conclusion. We will now proceed with litigation...

And the bad actors at Portland City Hall are playing right along, of course. "Green" hypocrites of the lowest order.

Not that it would make any difference, but maybe it's time to get in the Port commissioners' faces -- and the governor's, too -- on this one. Here's the list of the Port commission members. They all have day jobs -- three of them are union types, and a couple are in law firms. Wonder how they would feel about picket lines outside their offices.

Comments (9)

Are port commissioners paid?

Posted by Portland Native | May 10, 2011 8:28 AM

No; they're volunteers who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate.

Posted by Isaac Laquedem | May 10, 2011 9:17 AM

My concerns are two:
Why can't we dredge our marina in Sellwood(I keep a small sailboat there) when the City and Port can dredge with DEQ's blessing?

What will future trade be? Energy cost is going up, trade imbalances are unsustainable, fossil fuel issues--the list of issues to consider is long. Will we need this new West Hayden Island terminal 5 years from now? Ten? How much will a new bridge for trucks/RR between the island and Rivergate cost?

Posted by Don | May 10, 2011 10:00 AM

Don't worry. They'll offset it with bioswales.

Posted by zonedar | May 10, 2011 10:24 AM

Apparently we need more industrial land for this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=portland&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=56.506174,135.263672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Portland,+Multnomah,+Oregon&ll=45.6439,-122.758741&spn=0.001543,0.004128&t=h&z=19

Posted by ws | May 10, 2011 10:37 AM

Great, an unelected Port commission--in other places I've lived, this has always been an elected position.

Posted by Kent Mulder | May 10, 2011 11:33 AM

I actually once inquired about putting the Port of Portland under "home rule" so the officials would be elected. However, no one in any elections office seems to know the boundaries which will would be required to do this by initiative. And I suspect the powers that be don't actually care to make that info all that accessible.

Posted by LucsAdvo | May 10, 2011 5:12 PM

They are state-level officials. Governor and Senate don't appoint local officials. State-wide ballot measure will do it. Long overdue.

Posted by dyspeptic | May 10, 2011 7:01 PM

Here's a starting point for a ballot measure:

1. ORS 778.215, and 778.220 are repealed.

Section 2. The following provision is enacted as ORS 778.210 replaces in its entirety the existing ORS 778.210, and made a part of Chapter 778, Oregon Revised Statutes, and each smaller included series: "(1) The board shall be composed of nine registered electors. The electors of Multnomah County, Clackamas County, and Washington County shall each elect three registered electors from their respective counties.
(2) Members of the board will serve staggered terms of four years, commencing on the January 1 following their election.
(3) Vacancies on the board will be filled by election."

Posted by Isaac Laquedem | May 12, 2011 9:59 AM

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Rape of Hayden Island gets DEQ blessing

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