Willamette Riverkeepers Put Spotlight on Garbage, DEQ

The Oregon environmental group Willamette Riverkeeper is asking the Department of Environmental Quality to take a better look at what is happening with the Willamette River. While Riverkeeper has done hundreds of cleanups along the river, the problem of trash continues to the point where urban areas like Portland, Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene are overwhelmed with garbage along the riverbanks.  

Riverkeeper Executive Director Travis Williams said in a statement that his organization does make a dent in the garbage along the Willamette, although the group believes that the issue is more systemic. Unfortunately, the river makes its way through several urban areas, meaning that no one city, state, or federal agency would have jurisdiction to address the problem. This led the organization to ask the DEQ to take the lead. 

“We share Willamette Riverkeeper’s concerns about trash in Oregon’s waterways,” said DEQ spokesperson, Lauren Wirtis. “No one likes to see garbage when they are visiting or recreating in one of our rivers.” Wirtis added that the DEQ is looking into the Riverkeeper petition. 

Currently, the DEQ is able to limit the amount of pollutants like nitrate or mercury in our waterways, and reports their findings to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverkeeper believes that the amount of trash could be added to that every-other-year report. 

Riverkeeper is asking that the DEQ’s rulemaking body – the Environmental Quality Commission – develop “a total maximum daily load” of debris standard that could be enforced across jurisdictions to limit garbage in the water. 

Obviously, the current houseless crisis is a contributing aspect of the garbage issue, and Riverkeeper stands with many other groups asking that the state of Oregon, local agencies, and private businesses work to provide appropriate and safe housing and services for these people. 

Riverkeeper’s mission is to “protect and restore the Willamette River.” Their goals include creating safe places along this important waterway for swimming, fishing, and other outdoor sports. Their board is made up of hiking and kayaking outdoor enthusiasts who want to save our river for wildlife, fish, and people in future generations. 

As Riverkeeper says on their website: “The health of this natural ecosystem is inseparable from the quality of life of our communities who live and work in its surrounding watershed; each is dependent on the other.” 

By Sally K Lehman 

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