APRIL 14, 2010 MEETING NOTES
Jim Robison posed the question, " Should the PHCAG suggest that only biodegradable fuels be used for equipment that will remediate the river such as: dredges, cranes, barges, etc?
Jim Anderson: Both the EPA and the DEQ have held meetings that announced that these agencies will be advocating a policy of "Green Remediation." It is illogical to use equipment that increases contamination while trying to eliminate it. The effort for both bureaus is to reduce the "carbon footprint" in as many operations as possible.
Barbara Smith:  While the exact equipment will not be selected during the Feasibility Study; the predilection toward "green remediation" can be incorporated into the philosopy of the report for the upcoming "Check In" meeting in September 2010. The equipment decision is decided after the Feasibility Study.
The " Alternative Study Check In Meeting" is where the LWG and agencies propose potential methods of remediation to the EPA for individual sites and areas and why they were selected.
The North Reach Plan
Bill Egan:  I believe that the City of Portland should not bog down the river industries with rendering bioremediation of the river when they propose building a new project on the river. The problems of the river are complicated enough.
Darise Weller:  I totally disagree. In fact, I have worked on the North Reach Plan for 10 years now and the river industries believe they have no responsibility to the river except to utilize it in any manner they see fit or serves the purpose.
 
 
Jim Robison:  Excuse me, but I believe we need to complete our discussion on "the use of biofuels on equipment to clean up the river".
Robin Plance:  Biofuels are more commonplace and can be utilized, if not for the entire project them most of it.
Further discussion of biofuels continued. Several people seem to believe that their use is very commonplace and should expect the remediation to incorporate them.
Harbor Superfund The 1938 Movie: The Willamette and Ubiquitous Sewerage
The movie illustrated how polluted the Willamette River was and demonstrated tests at various rivermiles to prove their point. At several locations on the river, healthy juvenile fish were allowed to swim in the river and died quickly do to lack of dissolved oxygen, perhaps higher temperature and problematic pH levels.
Jan Secunda: Orange County now has a project in motion to filter "grey water" (used water) and recycle it back to use again for industry and potentially human consumption. Several books are available pertinent to this discussion. Blue Gold and Flow.
Recently Darise Weller and I attended a Confluences: Water & Justice, where Maude Barlow was the keynote speaker. She is author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and The Coming Battle for the Right to Water.         
 
 
Jackie Calder                                                                     
 
Use of Biofuels for Remediation of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site