Editorial by Susan Hess
[/media-credit] Smoke from Mosier, OR caused by derailment on June 3, 2016 was visible all over the Gorge
Friday, June 3, the State of Oregon’s Environmental Justice Taskforce met in Hood River. To start the meeting they asked community members to tell them about local concerns. Lack of affordable housing, transportation, and agricultural pesticides were named. I added that the dramatically increasing number of oil and coal trains running along both sides of the Columbia River concern all the Gorge communities.
Two hours into the meeting, I received a text and photo from EnviroGorge Associate Editor Miko Ruhlen about a train derailment at Mosier, Oregon just four miles away. I told the group and passed my phone around and told them if they looked out the meeting room windows they could see the black smoke pouring over the east hills. No one did.
The woman representing Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, called her office to make sure the agency was on it. People began looking for information on their cell phones and laptops. Next to me, people joked about their luck that their departments didn?t have to be involved, one from Oregon OHSA. The joking continued until I let them know that I was there to report on the meeting for EnviroGorge and Radio Tierra.
The taskforce got back onto their agenda with no discussion of the derailment. For two hours more the meeting went on about important stuff: air toxics: industrial air (especially the artesian glass factories), wood smoke, diesel fumes.
At last the meeting paused for public comment. I asked if the Taskforce would like to comment on the derailment. One person said that the governors of Oregon and Washington had met to talk about the issues around fossil fuel transportation. I said, “I wondered if the Taskforce would like to comment on this specific event. The elementary school is being evacuated.”
The chair said that these things are tragic. Another said, “Our hearts go out to the responders and citizens.” And they returned to their agenda.
It seemed an odd response or lack of response for a group concerned with Oregon’s environmental issues.
Among those attending were members of the Taskforce, representatives from Govenor Kate Brown’s Office, Oregon OSHAA, Oregon Public Utility Commission, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Water Resource Commission, Mayor of Cascade Locks, Local Water Alliance, Mount Hood Meadows, several local orchardists, The Next Door, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation.
Absolutely tragic and irresponsible. I suppose it took major press to get them to sit up and respond. Shame on all of them.
It was puzzling
Very troubling. Thank you for the description, Susan. When agendas and Business As Usual trump real life right outside the window…..seems like the worst of bureaucracy.
Susan, do you know if there is a legal team heading up a response to the spins of Union Pacific right now?
Tina, I haven’t heard if there is a formal legal team. Attorneys at Columbia RiverKeeper, Friends of the Columbia Gorge and Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission are all working on it.
Susan