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An aerial image of Bonneville Lock and Dam.

Bradford Island

Background

Bradford Island is part of the Bonneville Dam complex, which is located on the Columbia River at river mile 146.1, approximately 40 miles east of Portland, Oregon. The island has been the site of a variety of activities since dam construction including project maintenance, housing, equipment storage, chemical storage, and waste disposal.  

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began investigating the potential for contamination from historical disposal activities in 1997. Site investigations on Bradford Island began with evaluation of a landfill located near the eastern end on the island, which was used from the 1940s until the early 1980s. The USACE informed the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of the presence of the landfill in 1996. The landfill was added to the DEQ Environmental Cleanup Site Information (ECSI) database in April 1997, and the Bonneville Dam Project Manager signed a DEQ Voluntary Cleanup Agreement letter for the landfill on February 18, 1998. In 2000, when electrical equipment was discovered submerged in the river adjacent to the landfill, investigations were expanded to include the Columbia River off the north shore of Bradford Island. In 2004, USACE elected to continue the Bradford Island project under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in accordance with Executive Order 12580.  

Numerous investigations have been performed by the USACE and their contractors since 1997 to characterize and evaluate the contamination resulting from historical USACE activities at Bradford Island, with the site divided into two Operable Units (OUs), the Upland OU and the River OU. A review of site records, including employee interviews, site environmental audits, and environmental investigations resulted in the identification of four areas of potential concern (AOPCs) for the Upland OU: the Landfill AOPC, Sandblast Area AOPC, Pistol Range AOPC and Bulb Slope AOPC. The River OU is not subdivided and consists of the pooled area immediately upriver of the Bonneville Dam complex, known as the Bonneville Dam Forebay. The primary contaminants of interest that have been identified in soil and/or groundwater in the four Upland OU AOPCs include selected metals; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); butyltins; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and a few pesticides/herbicides. The contaminants of interest identified in offshore sediments and/or tissue samples for the River OU include selected metals, PCBs, pesticides, and PAHs.  

Due to the PCB contamination in fish tissue, there is currently a fish advisory to not eat any resident fish between the Bonneville Dam and one mile upstream of the dam. More detail on the fish advisory can be found on the following Oregon Health Authority website: Bonneville Dam Fish Advisory.  

Public Documents

External Links

Cleanup Efforts

The electrical equipment and debris discovered in the Columbia River off the north shore of Bradford Island in December 2000 was removed from the river in February and March 2002, as part of a time-critical removal action. Approximately 32 tons of solid waste was removed and disposed of off-site.  

Following delineation of the extent of sediment contamination, impacted sediment along the north shore of Bradford Island was dredged and removed from the Columbia River in October 2007, as part of a non-time critical removal action. During the dredging action, 2.2 million gallons of water and 65 tons of sediment were suctioned from the river bottom. The water was filtered to remove contaminants and the water returned to the river was non-detectable for PCBs at five parts per trillion. The captured sediment, taken to a licensed landfill, was non-detectable for PCBs at 80 parts per billion.  

Milestones

RAB

The Department of the Army recognizes the importance of public and stakeholder participation in USACE Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act (CERCLA) response actions. Portland District created a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) to improve public participation by involving the community and tribal nations in the environmental cleanup at the Bradford Island National Priorities List (NPL) site. 

The RAB integrates public participation by involving the community in the restoration decision-making process. The RAB establishes and maintains a forum with stakeholders for the exchange of information in an open and interactive dialogue concerning the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) response activities at the Bradford Island NPL Site. The RAB provides comments and advice to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, on the proposed response activities. Additionally, they serve as liaisons between the Corps and the community. Board meetings are always open to the public. 

Bradford Island Restoration Advisory Board Meeting schedule

Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) virtual meetings for the Bradford Island National Priority List (NPL) will be listed below. The public is encouraged to attend online via Teams. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.

The public is encouraged to attend the virtual-only meeting online via Teams. There will also be an opportunity for public questions and comments.

How to Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting on the Web
Select Join the meeting now to open the MS Teams site in your web browser.
Meeting ID: 231 220 679 189 1

1. Select Join the meeting now
2. You will see two choices: Download the App or Join on the Web. Click Join on the Web or Join as a guest.
3. Type in your name (first and last).
4. Allow audio. Virtual participants will not have camera access.
5. Click on Join Now. You'll go to a lobby. The meeting organizer will admit you at 5:00 p.m. PST. Please be patient.

Note: If you have trouble joining the meeting on the web, please use the dial-in phone number and conference ID to join the meeting audio. If you would like to confirm you can log-in, set up a test meeting at least 24 hours prior to the RAB with kellie.koenig@jacobs.com.

Virtual Meeting Courtesy and Etiquette
During the Meeting:
• Sit in a location with minimal noise and distractions. Turn off your camera and other programs using your internet bandwidth.

• Keep your audio on mute unless you are speaking.

Questions and Comments
• To ask a question or provide comment, raise your hand virtually and take yourself off mute.
• If you are on the phone, press *6 to unmute. Meeting organizers cannot unmute you.
• Please speak clearly and state your name each time you speak.
• You may also use the chat for questions and comments.

If you have any connection issues, please contact lisa.david@jacobs.com text (714) 473-4125.

Join the meeting now 
Meeting ID: 231 220 679 189 1 
Passcode: 4FK3aV9u 
________________________________________
Dial in by phone:  +1 469-214-8538,,651257289# United States, Palmer Find a local number 
Phone conference ID: 651 257 289# 
Join on a video conferencing device 
Tenant key: 493366865@t.plcm.vc 
Video ID: 118 675 210 2 
For additional information, please contact John Morgan, Public Affairs Specialist for the USACE: John.L.Morgan@usace.army.mil, 503-808-4515
 

You can find a recording of all past RAB meetings on our Portland District YouTube page. Click here to be added to the mailing list for future public meetings.