Vancouver Lake | Rosemere Neighborhood Association

Local View: Stormwater Pollution is a Critical Issue for Clark County – Sunday, December 14, 2008

April 5, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

Flooding Chehalis, WA, on I-5 corridor. State Stormwater regulations work to alleviate stresses of high level storm events that can cause major flooding. These events represent only 1% of the rainfall in our state, yet do the most significant damage.

This editorial was published by the Columbian newspaper:

Sunday, December 14, 2008
By Dvija Bertish, Rosemere Neighborhood Association and Lauren Goldberg, Toxics and Conservation Director, Columbia Riverkeeper

The recent story regarding the City of Vancouver’s move to increase protections for our local creeks and rivers from the stormwater that carries thousands of pounds of heavy metals, pesticides, and oil from city streets should be welcome news to everyone who values clean water, salmon or the chance for your family to enjoy a swim in a local river or lake. [Read More...]

Media Release: Groups praise cleanup action at Alcoa’s Vancouver site, but say more is needed – November 24, 2008

April 5, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information, Call:

Dvija Michael Bertish
Rosemere Neighborhood Association

Lauren Goldberg
Conservation Director,
Columbia Riverkeeper
541-965-0985
lauren@columbiariverkeeper.org

November 24, 2008

Groups praise cleanup action at Alcoa’s Vancouver site, but say more is needed

VANCOUVER, WA — The Rosemere Neighborhood Association (RNA) and Columbia Riverkeeper (CRK) today called on the Washington Department of Ecology to require prompt cleanup of all toxic contamination caused by the Alcoa site in Vancouver. The Alcoa-Evergreen site is located on the banks of the Columbia River, inside Vancouver city limits, at the Port of Vancouver. The site is approximately 5000 feet from the mouth of the flushing channel to Vancouver Lake. As a former aluminum smelter site, the Alcoa property contributed significant quantities of toxic PCB contamination to the Columbia River. Toxic pollution from Alcoa continues to this day including TCE, PAHs and PCBs that are actively leaching into the Columbia just east of public recreation areas where local residents have direct contact with the river and also harvest shellfish. [Read More...]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR RE: Railroad Trestle – April 1, 2008

April 5, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

Posted 12:15 AM, April 13, 2008

Submitted to The Columbian, April 1, 2008

Last November 2007, the Columbian published an article “Tussle Over Trestle”. Local citizen, Ed Swindell, noted that a collapsed creosote laden railroad trestle was probably polluting Burnt Bridge Creek and it should be removed. This initiated finger pointing between Clark County and BNSF Railway over whose mess this was. Neither was inclined to claim property ownership. [Read More...]

ROSEMERE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2007

April 5, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

2007 NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 2007 NEWSLETTER

PROPOSED COAL-BURNING POWER PLANT

On September 20, 2007, representatives of Columbia Riverkeeper, Willapa Audubon Society, and the Rosemere Neighborhood Association, along with a number of other concerned citizens, attended a public hearing held by Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to voice their opinions about Energy Northwest’s proposed Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant in Kalama, WA. The council took comments from the public on Energy Northwest’s greenhouse gas “sequestration plan” (view the plan at http://http:www.esfec.wa.gov/pmec.shtml). [Read More...]

Fish and Sediment Toxicity Levels at Vancouver Lake – April 18, 2007

April 5, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

Randy Coots, a water quality environmental specialist with the Olympia office of the Washington State Department of Ecology presented data to the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership today, relating the levels of specific toxins in fish tissue and sediment samples in Vancouver Lake and Lake River. Ecology has published another study entitled Vancouver Lake PCB’s, Chlorinated Pesticides, and Dioxins in Fish Tissue and Sediment [March 2007]. Similar studies were conducted in 1992 and 2002, resulting in listing of Vancouver Lake for failed water quality standards in PCB’s. Analyses from previous years showed that fish tissue samples exceeded National Toxics Rule thresholds for human health in both PCB’s and DDT. [Read More...]

Columbia River may cause dead zones off Oregon and Washington coasts and contribute to problems with Vancouver Lake – December 11, 2006

April 4, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

Posted 11:30 AM PST, December 11, 2006

Over the past several months RNA has been studying and networking to find information about the growing dead zones off the Oregon and Washington coasts. There may be a direct connection to understanding the adverse impacts to Vancouver Lake. This research was conducted in partnership with Columbia Riverkeeper.

There may be a direct correlation between the causes of the dead zones off the coasts and the problems suffered by the lake. [Read More...]

VANCOUVER LAKE REOPENED FOR WATER ACTIVITIES – July 20, 2006

April 4, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

[From a news release from Clark County Health Department]

Vancouver, WA – Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation and Clark County Public Health have reopened Vancouver Lake for swimming, wading, and wind-surfing. The lake was closed last Friday when regular water testing detected E. coli above acceptable levels.

“We’ve tested the water twice this week and results from both tests indicate that E.coli levels are now within the range that’s considered safe for swimming and other water activities. [Read More...]

VANCOUVER LAKE CLOSURE – July 14, 2006

April 4, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

[From a news release from Clark County Health Department]

Public Health closes Vancouver Lake due to E. coli test results

Contact: Alan Melnick, Clark County Health Officer
(360) 397-8000 ext. 7209; alan.melnick@clark.wa.gov

Marni Storey, Clark County Public Health Department
(360) 397-8000 ext. 8434; marni.storey@clark.wa.gov

Jilayne Jordan, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation
(360) 619-1141; jilayne.jordan@clark.wa.gov

Vancouver, WA – Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation and Clark County Public Health have closed Vancouver Lake to swimming, wading, and wind-surfing for at least the next week, according to Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick. Regular testing of the lake recently detected E. coli above acceptable levels. [Read More...]

RNA RECEIVES CORPORATE DONATIONS TO FURTHER WATER QUALITY WORK – June 21, 2006

April 4, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

Brent Foster, Executive Director, Columbia Riverkeeper, performing water quality monitoring on the Columbia River

In February 2006, RNA received a $5000 contribution from Allweather Wood, Inc. in Washougal. In June 2006, RNA received a second $5000 corporate donation from Metro Metals Inc, in Portland. Both donations will be used to pay for water quality monitoring on the Columbia River. These corporate donations were arranged through RNA’s continued working partnership with Columbia Riverkeeper. [Read More...]

Corps of Engineers to Study Vancouver Lake Problems – April 5, 2006

April 4, 2009 Author: admin

Comments Off

The Portland Corps of Engineers has been authorized to study the feasibility of providing erosion control and ecosystem restoration in the Vancouver Lake watershed, U.S. Rep. Brian Baird announced today.

Baird, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he secured authorization through a committee resolution, which does not need Senate approval.

The Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership will coordinate all development and conservation in the area, according to Baird. [Read More...]