Advocates want the history of river’s restoration to be part of redevelopment.
On February 8, environmental advocates gathered at Willamette Falls to recognize the “huge contributions”, made by business, industry, and government in restoring the Willamette River.
Advocates hope that historical exhibits at the falls site will include the story of environmental rehabilitation. The falls are currently in the midst of planning efforts to redevelop the historic mill with mixed use buildings that will provide public access and better views of the river.
The Clackamas County Historical Society received an award for environmental excellence from Darlene Hooley, then-Congresswoman.
Environmental changes in the 20th century have led to improvements in the air and water quality around falls.
Jerry Herrmann, president of Rivers of Life Center, an environmentally-oriented nonprofit, organized the February 8 event.
Herrmann, who was instrumental in the creation of Clackamas Community College’s Environmental Learning Center, said, “I remember waking up at nights choking whenever south winds blew. It brought choking sulfur into our neighborhood in West Linn.”
Native peoples referred the Oregon river as a “River of Life” to its great waterway. The name “Willamette”, however, is Native in origin. Over its 300-mile journey, the river supported thousands of Native people for thousands of years with salmon and lamprey. However, decades of untreated pollution from industry, municipalities, and agriculture led to the river being dubbed the “River of Death” in the 1960s.
Nine pulp and papermills in Willamette Valley were responsible for a large amount of industrial pollution, including the ones at Willamette Falls. This was recalled by Bill Kennemer (R, Oregon City/Canby), a long-time resident.
Kennemer said that the river was often carrot-red in parts and brown with sewage elsewhere. The river was also full of fiber from industrial processes, such as papermaking, and the contributions of many food processing companies as they transformed Willamette Valley fruit and vegetable into products.
American industries have used the Willamette River’s falls since the early 1800s. This was a sacred spot for Native Americans since ancient times. Between 1850-1950, water quality in the Willamette River was very poor. Its restoration was one of Oregon’s most significant environmental achievements.
Herrmann organized the gathering this month of dignitaries in recognition of an “enlightened State Government” and private sector funding of pulp and papers mills. These changes led to pollution-control systems being implemented at the mills next to the falls, greatly improving river and air quality.
Publishers Paper Company was the predecessor to the current owners Smurfit Newsprint, Blue Heron Paper Company and Blue Heron Paper Company. They occupied the Oregon City side until Blue Heron’s bankruptcy. The other side is occupied by a Crown Zellerbach mill, now Willamette Falls Paper Company. Both commerce and industry provided thousands of jobs in the early “settlement economy.” Publishers Paper Company was the first company to set a new standard in creating recycled products.
Anthony Zellerbach, an Austrian born man, had a mill that employed thousands and produced many grades paper for fine printing. Nearly a thousand people worked in the Publishers Paper Company mill, which made newsprint and other grades.
The 1960s began with a new governor. Under the leadership of Tom McCall and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, regulations were enacted that required wastewater to be treated before it could be discharged. Environmental efforts to clean up sources of pollution to the Willamette River were largely successful — but also very expensive — approximately $150 million (nearly $1 billion in today’s dollars).
The state funded a large portion of the cost of municipal wastewater treatment systems. Partially tax credits were granted gradually after environmental expenditures. However, industry was still faced with large expenditures. The total industrial cost of river cleanup efforts was $50 million, which is more than $300 million in today’s dollars. The majority of this amount was spent by pulp-and-paper companies.
Rod Schmall, a former environmental and energy manager at Publishers, recalls how the Oregon City mill tried to reduce the impact on fish by barging cooking liquids to larger rivers like the Columbia River.
“That practice — and others, including reduced production during low river flows… were hopelessly inadequate,” Schmall said.
Publishers investigated the technical and economic feasibility of using wood chips with a different acidic formula to meet their environmental goals. Crown Zellerbach, a mill located on the other side the falls, decided to discontinue chemical pulpmaking.
The new publishing processes are far more gentle on the environment than previous ones. Most of the previously discharged waste materials can now be burned for energy or recovered for reuse. This was a “world-class improvement” in papermaking. Publishers also installed primary clarifiers to remove fibrous substances from papermaking wastewater before it was pumped over the river via a river bottom pipeline to final treatment. These actions by private industry — along with those by cities, food processors and agriculture — greatly helped the Willamette to become a restored “River of Life.”
Publishers was awarded the DEQ’s first Clean Up Pollution award for its environmental efforts that reduced pollution in Willamette River. The same CUP award was given to Publishers in subsequent years.
Zen Rozycki was later awarded a separate CUP award as an individual for his work in developing the first chemical process for new technologies. He also created a market for recycled newsprint. Publishers was a significant regional user of wastepaper due to its successes. This also reduced the need for pulp trees.
“This mill’s efforts made it possible for the first region’s recycling efforts to work predictably, reliably,” stated Pam Bloom, owner Oregon City Garbage and Gladstone Disposal. “Nonprofit organizations — including Lions, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts and scores of others — were finally able to collect and receive good payment to help their many community efforts through paper recycling.”
Publishers Paper Company also awarded the CUP awards to Oregon City mill, which was under Smurfit ownership. The award was for an energy conservation system that recovers heat lost previously.
Schmall stated, “Even with all its energy conservation practices and systems, including the installation at its Newberg mill a cogeneration unit and a riverwater turbine in its Oregon City mill that together generated approximately one-third the company’s two mill electrical consumption, the company remained Portland General Electric Company’s biggest customer until closure.”
Dan Fowler, a founding member of Oregon City Business Alliance, stated that the area’s business owners are “unhappy” with the ongoing improvement around the falls.
“It has been a source for life and commerce since the beginning of time. It has taken many forms over the years and now, under the stewardship Grand Ronde tribe, it will be cared to into the future,” Fowler stated.
Kennemer believes that the former Blue Heron Mill’s corporate office building at Highway 99E and Main Street, Oregon City, reflects the forward thinking of papermakers and should remain as a welcoming center for visitors to learn more about American firsts in industry.
“It would make a great orientation and technology center for the Willamette Falls Legacy Project, all these recognitions and awards need to be taken seriously and should be the subject of a beautiful exhibit and showcase area — as that corporate building is retained and reuse for public and school visitations,” Kennemer said.
Pamplin Media Group would like thank the people mentioned in this article for their historical research. Craig Holfeld, Rivers of Life Office Administrator and John Borden (1968), retired regional director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality provided additional contributions.
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