I was very surprised at the breadth of responsibility the Port of Portland has, especially because it is not on many citizens radar as to what and how they operate and how much of an economic asset they are to Portland as well as the state, it really is our connection to the rest of the world. Visiting the Terminal 4 helped put into perspective the complexity of issues,especially seeing all of the properties they own just within that 10 mile designated Superfund site, then viewing the early action cleanup site put the size of the cleanup into perspective. My questions were about what they were doing in order to get the vastness of the situation out to the public in a comprehensive way. I was pleased and very excited that before I could even ask my question we learned about the podcast that the Port of Portland did called, One River Many Voices.(https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/one-river-many-voices/id977691247?mt=2) I thought this was a well executed framework for community engagement, educating citizens in order to get the facts of the complexity of the situation out there in a non-biased way.
It didn't seem as like there has been much public participation outreach besides that podcast , the occasional Willamette Weekly article, the Port of Portland and EPA websites, and the upcoming record of decision. I imagine many citizens may feel already a sense of powerlessness in the decision, simply because of more recently being informed and told that their opinion matters. Another aspect that makes it difficult to understand is providing a comprehensive explanation of the facts surrounding the issues for example, “the quantitative risk frame in environmental health puts lay publics at a disadvantage from the outset and limits their ability to participate in and influence decisions when compared to scientists and other professionals.” (Corburn 2005:27) I think keeping the viewpoints open in seeking understanding that “each group encompasses a host of divergent points of view, significant cleavages, competing vested interests, and splintered subgroups,” (Arnstein 1969:217) is important for both businesses and citizens to have an honest open talk in order to reach a decision with a clear goal in which many can agree upon. -Katie Arnstein S. 1969 A Ladder Of Citizen Participation, Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35:4, 216-224, DOI: 10.1080/01944366908977225 Corburn J. 2005 Street Science, Local Knowledge in Environmental Health Policy
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