Schnitzer Steel accused of polluting the Willamette
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Environmental activists have accused Schnitzer Steel of polluting the Willamette River with runoff from its giant scrap yard in Portland.
The Northwest Environmental Defense Center sent a notice Thursday to the Portland company, accusing it of violating the federal Clean Water Act.
The center is based at Lewis & Clark Law School and has a long history of successfully targeting Oregon industries.
The center says Schnitzer's own tests on water draining from scrap yard storm-water pipes show levels of copper, lead and zinc above state benchmarks since at least 2001.
The Schnitzer property lies along the Portland Harbor Superfund site, and the contaminants in its storm water are among the toxins that Superfund managers are trying to remove from river sediment.
Schnitzer officials declined to comment, citing potential litigation.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
