Dedicated to promoting the welfare of our neighborhood, our community, and our environment.
Clark County Salmon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
The state Department of Ecology has issued a $2,000 civil penalty to the Clark County Public Works Department for violating technical requirements of a stormwater discharge permit at the Salmon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, county officials announced today.
Click here to read Clark County Press Release RE Stormwater Violation (PDF format)
Stormwater outfall during dry weather conditions
PRESS RELEASE****PRESS RELEASE****PRESS RELEASE
Today Rosemere Neighborhood Association delivered a Sixty Day Notice of Intent to file a Citizens’ Lawsuit against Clark County, Washington, under the Clean Water Act. A copy of the Sixty Day Notice is attached to this press release. Rosemere Neighborhood Association is represented by attorneys Theda Braddock, of Steilacoom, Washington, and Paul E. Brain of Smith, Alling, Lane, PS, of Tacoma, Washington. [Read More...]
The Rosemere Neighborhood Association has joined the Twitter Universe! Please follow our tweets at rosemerena on twitter.com and get real time updates on all our news and activities.
On April 14, 2009, oral arguments were made in the Rosemere Neighborhood Association’s (RNA) appeal in its federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to conduct an appropriate investigation into allegations of retaliation. RNA filed a Title VI Environmental Justice complaint with EPA in February 2003 alleging that the City of Vancouver had discriminated in the provision of municipal services in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the Title VI complaint alleged that the city had discriminated against Environmental Justice neighborhoods by failing to address failing septic systems, the lack of a comprehensive sewer network, contaminated ground and surface waters, poor air quality, industrial pollutants, urban blight and decay, and long-range planning that fails to alleviate these stresses. RNA contends the EPA failed in its fiduciary duties to properly investigate the Title VI complaint which has led to ongoing legal proceedings. [Read More...]
ADDED 5/11/09: This story makes headlines across the country! High Country News reports it here: “Heard around the West: Deja Poo”
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On April 8, City inspections of a local stormdrain system that borders Rosemere found a dangerous cross connection with sewage lines. The problem was identified using specialized remote cameras in the stormdrain system. Unfortunately, the cross connection occurs at the Southwest Regional Office of the Washington State Department of Ecology. This means that raw sewage from a large and heavily staffed state office dedicated to environmental protection has literally been discharging to Burnt Bridge Creek for at least a dozen years.
It was the perfect day for a rally, the first nice spring day in the region. It took place at the noon at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland amidst freshly sprouted lawn, trees starting to blossom, a sunny blue-sky day, and a busy promenade with bicyclists, strollers, and roller skaters. Television crews buzzed about as the stump speeches began beneath the Hawthorne Bridge. Sponsors of the rally included the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Coalition for a Livable Future, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Upstream Public Health and Oregon League of Conservation Voters. Speakers included Washington Senator Don Benton, Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, and Former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. [Read More...]
This location marks the pits where fireworks were discovered. The city and county buried confiscated fireworks in these pits. The fireworks were supposedly destroyed by open burning them first, but contractors found fireworks that had not been burned.
The Rosemere Neighborhood Association has requested that the Environmental Protection Agency conduct a preliminary assessment of the known and suspected release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants at Camp Bonneville, the former US Military installation in Clark County, Washington (just outside Vancouver).
Read entire Preliminary Camp Bonneville Superfund Petition here (adobe pdf format.)
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...]
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...]
Posted 12:15 PM, October 3, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2007
Contacts:
Brett VandenHeuvel, Columbia Riverkeeper. 503 224-3240. bv@columbiariverkeeper.org
Dvija Michael Bertish, Rosemere Neighborhood Association.
Environmental Groups Challenge Proposed Climate Polluting, Coal Fueled, Power Plant in Kalama, WA.
Seeking to stop a power plant that would spew millions of tons of toxic greenhouse gasses and other contaminants into Washington State skies, Columbia Riverkeeper, Willapa Audubon Society, and Rosemere Neighborhood Association have been granted the legal status to intervene in the permitting process for Energy Northwest’s proposed 680-megawatt coal-fueled Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant in Kalama. A total of six environmental groups will intervene in objection to the proposed coal-fueled power plant, along with the State Attorney General’s Office and the Washington State Department of Ecology. [Read More...]
