DEQ selected a cleanup plan in 2021 documented in the Record of Decision (ROD) to address soil contamination on the “Upland” portion of the Willamette Cove Site. In 2020, DEQ held a six-month public comment period on the recommended cleanup for the Willamette Cove Upland, which was presented in DEQ’s Staff Report. DEQ received nearly 200 public comments. A responsive summary is provided in Section 9 of the ROD and the comments are provided in Appendix B.
The Port of Portland and Metro have prepared a draft Remedial Design Investigation Report, dated March 2023 and available below under Site Documents. This report summarizes sampling performed within the Uplands property from July to November 2022 and presents the corresponding results. The level of work is significant with the intent to generate a robust comprehensive dataset to inform upland remedial design. Please note, this data report should be considered draft and may change following DEQ review.
Helpful information for Willamette Cove can be found below, including an updated factsheet and ROD presenting the selected cleanup and basis. Please also visit DEQ’s Willamette Cove Uplands webpage for additional information, including a Story Map on the Upland Cleanup at ordeq.org/willamettecove.
The vacant 27-acre riverfront property stretches approximately 3,000 feet on the northeast bank of the Willamette River, positioned between river mile 6 and 7 of the Willamette River, north (downriver) of downtown Portland and south (upriver) of the St. Johns Bridge. The Willamette Cove property has a history of development and use spanning over 100 years and used extensively for industrial activity from the early 1900s to 1970s, including a cooperage, lumber mill, and dry dock activities. Significant over-water activity also occurred.
Metro, a tri-county governmental agency, currently owns the property. The Port of Portland is a former owner/operator of a portion of the property. Extensive environmental investigation has been completed at the site including surface and subsurface soil, groundwater, and sediment in adjoining river sediment. Contaminants including dioxins, PCBs, metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons have been detected, most notably in upland soil and river sediment. In addition to remedial investigation work, both human and ecological risk assessments have been completed and a feasibility study begun in 2014 to identify cleanup activities for the upland site that would eliminate risk to human health or the environment.
A plan for removal of highly concentrated contaminated soil in the upland property was approved by DEQ, and subsequently implemented in 2015-2016. Removal focused on elevated dioxins, also called “hotspots” but included soils contaminated with metals and PCBs. An updated upland feasibility study and source control evaluation was submitted to DEQ in October 2017 to address the remaining contamination in the uplands, which pose risk to human health and the environment. A Revised Upland Feasibility Study and Source Control Evaluation was submitted to DEQ in March 2019, and has been reviewed by DEQ, EPA, and Tribes. As noted above, DEQ has selected a cleanup plan to address extensive soil contamination in the Upland portion of the site.
At this time, environmental work in the site upland is being overseen by DEQ under the Northwest Region Cleanup Program located in Portland. Actions to address in-water contamination (Willamette River and riverbank) are being overseen by EPA Region 10 (Seattle) in accordance with the January 2017 Record of Decision for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site.
Until the property is restored to safe conditions, DEQ and the Oregon Health Authority have advised people to not enter the site for recreational or other purposes given the presence of soil and sediment (river) contamination. Information on the potential health effects from exposure to these contaminants is available in the 2013 Oregon Health Authority Health Consultation: http://bit.ly/OHA-WillametteCove.