News Releases Article
Senator to Visit Port of Ridgefield
Originally published in The Reflector, 09 January 2002. Reprinted with permission.
by Heidi Wallenborn
Port of Ridgefleld,officials will host a reception to welcome U.S. Sen. Patty Murray Tues., Jan.15, at the Lake River Industrial Site.
Murray will meet with Port commissioners Joe Melroy, Bruce Wiseman and Roy Randel, as.well.as Port executive director Brent Grening and other city officials at the reception to be he1d from 10:15-11 a.m. at 111 W Division St., Ridgefield.
Port officials will conduct a short site tour and provide Murray with an update on the Port’s cleanup project.
According to Ellen Rogers, marketing manager for the Port, Murray was instrumental in helping the Port acquire a $1 million Economic Development Initiative grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development last year, to assist with the environmental cleanup of the Lake River site. The site was contaminated by Pacific Wood Treating Co., which declared bankruptcy in 1993. Port officials have nearly completed above grqund cleanup of contamination from wood treating chemicals left behind by the company.
However, Port officials face a nearly $50 million project to extract an underground soupy mass of creosote, pentachlorophenol and copper chromium arsenate using steam extraction.
Cleanup may take 8-10 years, Port officials say.
Port officials have also worked with the state Department of Ecology to remediate the site through grants.
Those wishing to attend the reception for Murray may call Rogers by Fri., Jan. 11 at 887-3873.
Those wishing to attend the reception for Murray may call Rogers by Fri., Jan. 11 at 887-3873.
