The Portland Harbor Superfund site*
The Portland Harbor Superfund Site is the 10.8-mile long stretch of the Wilamut or Walumpt, (Willamette River) extending from the Broadway Bridge in Portland, past Wapato (Sauvie) Island to the confluence of the Columbia River. Over 100 years of industrial activity has resulted in contamination settling on the bottom of the river and along its banks. Portland Harbor is located within the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, and Clackamas bands of Chinook, as well as the Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other Tribes that made their homes and gathered their foods within and along the Wilamut or Walumpt and Wimal (Columbia Rivers).
*Some refer to the Portland Harbor Superfund site as the Willamette River Superfund site.
Access our glossary to learn about all terms related to the Portland Superfund site!
Maps of the Superfund site
Map of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site that illustrates different sections where responsible parties (RPs) are conducting remedial design with EPA oversight. The area shaded in yellow indicates where monitored natural recovery is planned to occur.
The EPA’s Storymap was created with meaningful input from tribal and community representatives.
It summarizes the history of the Portland Harbor, impacted communities, environmental justice issues, and priorities in the cleanup of the Willamette River.
Many PHCC members were included in interviews led by Laura Knudsen, Community Involvement Coordinator for EPA, Region 10 to develop a community involvement plan.
EPA also integrated priorities from the community and tribes in this document that responsible parties must abide by.
Image Credit: Port of Portland, Map Illustrating businesses along the river and RPs (responsible parties).
With PHCC, previous students in the Lewis and Clark Environmental Studies Program created a Storymap to disseminate information about nationwide Superfund sites.
Health Risks Within the Superfund site
Extensive testing in the area has found 29 different toxic compounds that pose a risk to human health and 89 compounds that pose a risk to ecological health. These contaminants include but are not limited to PCBs, DDT, PAHs, lead, arsenic, mercury, and other heavy metals. More than 140 responsible parties (RPs) including businesses and public agencies such as the Port of Portland, the City of Portland, the METRO Regional government, and the U.S. Military have been identified as responsible for this pollution. The contamination poses risks to human health, particularly from the consumption of fish such as bass, catfish, carp, and sculpin which spend their lives in the river. The Superfund Site also presents risks and impacts to ecological health and wildlife populations within this area and the broader region.
Read more here to learn about how PHCC addresses health and safety concerns.
Parties Responsible for Polluting the River
Some are small and unrecognizable, whilst others are well-known and collectively make billions of dollars a year. The list of responsible parties includes Bayer CropScience, Chevron, Gunderson, Kinder Morgan, Arkema, Exxon, BP, Arco, Conoco Phillips, Shell, Schnitzer Steel, Toyota, US Navy, Zidell, and over 100 others.
Responsible parties are often referred to as PRPs or RPs.
The Impacts of Climate Change
At the same time, the community and the river ecosystem are at risk from climate change impacts that could result in significant increases in pollution from the Superfund site and other industries along the river. These impacts include rising air and water temperatures, more intense flooding and changes in snowpack, wildfires, and earthquakes - all of which can be disastrous for the health and safety of the community and the survival of fisheries.
The harbor is also an international port of commerce with dozens of industries, including fossil fuel storage and concrete processing, major contributors to climate change. The Lower Willamette is also a popular area for recreation, including fishing and boating. The river provides a critical migratory corridor and rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead, including endangered runs of steelhead and chinook. The area holds great importance to regional Tribes with treaty rights to the river’s natural and cultural resources.
PHCC’s Perspective
A cleaned-up river and harbor will NOT inherently benefit all. We’ve seen adverse effects on Superfund communities in other cities like New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, and even Portland’s South Waterfront. Without serious intervention, those who have lost land, jobs, health and so much more aren’t guaranteed to benefit from a fully cleaned river.
Aerial photo of the Portland Harbor including St John’s Bridge in North Portland and Cathedral Park.
Image credit: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/56508