For Immediate Release August 5, 2013 Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Announce Settlement of Lawsuit Against Grabhorn, Inc. Sherwood, Oregon— August 5, 2013 —the Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge formally announces the settlement of its lawsuit against Grabhorn, Inc., which operated Lakeside Reclamation Landfill. As part of the overall settlement structure, Howard Grabhorn and Grabhorn Inc. agreed to pay the Department of Environmental Quality $2.5 million, plus $4.5 million provided by their insurer Maryland Casualty. DEQ will hire contractors to clean up contamination from the landfill, which has been documented 45 feet below the ground and extending along roughly 1,400 feet of Tualatin River frontage. The settlement funds will also result in cleanup of the 37-acre construction waste site that closed in 2009, and provide the Friends of the Refuge and co-plaintiff Northwest Environmental Defense Center certain oversight rights for the remainder of the landfill closure plan. The Friends of the Refuge is very pleased with the outcome of the case, as the $7 million settlement should provide the full amount DEQ projects the cleanup will cost, including a 15 percent contingency for unexpected costs or cost overruns. The former Lakeside Reclamation Landfill is located at 14930 S.W. Vandermost Road, east of Bull Mountain and south of Scholls Ferry Road, and is adjacent to Refuge property and the Tualatin River. The Grabhorn family began operating the site for construction waste and demolition debris in the mid-1950s, before the state required permitting for landfills. It is one of the largest unlined landfills in the region. Under modern regulation, it would be impossible to open a landfill operating in the manner Lakeside utilized. The landfill is now closed, due in part to the efforts of local community efforts, including the Friends of the Refuge. The settlement agreement will provide significant protection to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and its habitat for the foreseeable future. Without the lawsuit, it was not expected the landfill would be closed in a manner that would protect the Refuge and surrounding environmental resources, which would lead to significant environmental impact to the Refuge and surrounding areas. For more information, press only: Steven C. Burke 503-641-7222 Steve@case-dusterhoff
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 20:44:29 +0000
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