The Legacy of Industrial Pollution on the Columbia Slough

There are many reasons to ensure that Colwood does not become an industrial area. One of the biggest is that this area is the one of the last areas on the Columbia Slough that has not been contaminated or abused by industrial development.

Why is this important? Consider Johnson Lake which is part of the Columbia Slough near I-205.  For decades Johnson Lake was a recreational retreat for Portland residents. The lake was crystal clear and boasted a beach house and dance hall.  People swam, fished, and enjoy the serenity of this special area.

The Owens-Illinois Glass Factory set up shop on the land adjacent to the lake in the 1950’s.  They soon began dumping industrial waste into Johnson Lake, much of it containing PCBs (a known carcinogen). Needless to say, Johnson Lake has not been open to swimming for the past 50 years and fish caught in the lake is unsafe for human consumption.

The clean-up of Johnson Lake continues - slowly. Most recently the DEQ has come up with a plan that will require a partial cleanup of the lake. The Owens will be required to dredge some of the contaminated sediment at a cost of $1.3 million. But this won’t solve the problem. Instead nature will still need to do the rest of the work over a number of decades. Find out more about the clean-up of Johnson Lake here.

Let’s learn from the past.  Keep Colwood Green!

Send in your testimony to Keep Colwood Green today!

This entry was posted on 3. September 2008 at 21:30 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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