Cleanup Sites

Site summary

The Columbia Slough is located south and parallel to the Columbia River and consists of approximately 31 miles of water way extending from Fairview Lake on the east side to the Willamette River on the west. Industrial and urban development along the Slough has resulted in the accumulation of a variety of contaminants in Slough sediments, some of which bioaccumulate and have also been found in fish tissue collected from the Slough. In 2005 DEQ issued a Record of Decision establishing a program to cleanup sediments at individual release sites, implement source control measures throughout the watershed to prevent further releases, and monitor conditions over the long term to ensure continued improvement.

DEQ is working with the City under an InterGovernmental Agreement to complete source control and sediment evaluation work throughout the Slough as it relates to discharges associated with City Outfalls. DEQ is also working with private parties at more than 30 individual sites to conduct site specific source control and sediment cleanup evaluation. In addition, as described in documents provided below, DEQ has conducted investigations in various segments of the Slough using settlement funds obtained from private parties in exchange for a liability release for their site’s contribution to contamination in Slough sediments.

Current documents and supporting information

Fact Sheet: Columbia Slough Sediment Update
Columbia Slough Screening Levels Memo
City Intergovernmental Agreement
2018 Columbia Slough Annual Report
Long-Term Monitoring Plan
2005 Fish Tissue Sampling Report
2006 Sediment Sampling Report
Watershed Action Plan
Video Summary of the Columbia Slough Sediment Cleanup Project
Developed by Columbia Slough Watershed Council and David Biggs

Sediment-related activities

Liability settlements

Examples – see individual site links provided in the segment-specific sections below.

Lower Columbia Slough Information

Sediment data

Lower-Slough-Specific Screening Level Table
Fact sheet: 2012 Lower Columbia Slough Sediment Investigation
Lower Columbia Slough Sediment Study – January 2012
Data Summary Report for Lower Columbia Slough, January 2012 - prepared for DEQ by Ash Creek Associates

Sediment cleanup documents

Lower Columbia Slough cleanup sites with consent judgments providing settlements for sediment investigation/cleanup:

Arclin Surfaces, Inc. and Simpson Timber Company – ECSI 161
Blasen Family LLC – ECSI 3785
Bob’s Metals- ECSI 5094
Familian-9208 N. Tyndall Ave. - ECSI 5295
Macadam Aluminum and Bronze Co. – ECSI 2765
MB Terminal PPA- ECSI 339
Pacific Carbide – ECSI 268
Portland Meadows PPA- ECSI 6343
Precision Equipment, Inc., - ECSI 152
RB Recycling (Former) - ECSI 4157
Tindall Family Properties, LLC – Pacific Meat – ECSI 145
Precision Equipment, Inc., - ECSI 152
Wastech, Inc. – ECSI 1271
Union Carbide – ECSI 176
York Recycling - ECSI 6114

Middle/Upper Slough Information

Fact sheet – Columbia Slough Sediment Investigation
EPA Grant Columbia Slough Sediment Study, 2014

Colwood-Middle Columbia Slough Sediment Investigation Report - 2016

Middle/Upper Slough cleanup sites with consent judgments providing settlements for sediment investigation/cleanup:

Blue Lake Corporate Park PPA - ESCI 6189
Colwood National Golf Course - ECSI 5890
Oregon Humane Society/Steelman - ECSI 4017

Whitaker Slough information

Sediment data

Sediment cleanup documents

Record of Decision – Portland Willamette Inlet, April 2013
Remedial Action Completion Report: Portland Willamette Inlet, 2014 - prepared for DEQ by Apex Companies

Whitaker Slough cleanup sites with consent judgments providing settlements for sediment investigation/cleanup:

Halton Co. – ECSI 121
Halton Voith – ECSI 1503
Johnson Lake – ECSI 1311
Metro Metals - ECSI 5455
Nuway Oil PPA - ECSI 88
Portland Willamette – ECSI 2767

Natural resource activities

Funds available for habitat enhancement

Habitat Enhancements Completed

Lower Columbia Slough Refugia Project, 2015

Environmental Cleanup Site Information Number (ECSI):   1283
County:  Multnomah
City:  Portland
Region: Northwest

Contact

Project Managers:
Heidi Nelson - 503-229-6802
Sarah Miller - 503-229-5040

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Columbia Slough Sediment Project