On July 20, a dark plume of smoke rose from the center of Ross Island, a much abused island in the Willamette River south of downtown Portland. Ash and smoke blew into the adjoining neighborhoods and the fire burned for several hours. Neighbors stood along the bluff above the river watching the smoke drift towards them and wondering what was on fire. It turned out to be a number of old tires and abandoned equipment left in the center of the island by Ross Island Sand and Gravel's now defunct gravel mining operations, which for decades hollowed out the island and left a toxic mess.
This fire has ignited renewed urgency to wrest control of the island from Ross Island Sand and Gravel so that the long deferred cleanup and restoration process can begin. On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with Bob Sallinger, Executive Director of Willamette Riverkeeper, about the pressure Riverkeeper and other environmental groups are putting on the city to reclaim Ross Island as an important natural area in the heart of Portland.