Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC) - Law School - Lewis & Clark
Interstate 5 Columbia River Crossing
The Interstate 5 Columbia River Crossing (“CRC”) is a massive multi-billion dollar highway infrastructure proposal that has the potential to change the transportation and environmental landscape of North Portland, Hayden Island, and the region. NEDC has been analyzing whether the project complies with all federal and state environmental laws and regulations, submitting comments to various agencies, and working to insure that the region’s natural resources are protected.
UPDATES on project developments:
- 2013: The Columbia River Crossing Project is claimed to be taking measures to shut down its offices, but the permit applications remained open.
- June 29, 3013: Governor Kitzhaber stated that due to Washington lawmaker’s failure to approve funding, project managers have begun to shut down the Columbia River Crossing project.
- August 30, 2013: Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality issued a Section 401 certification for the project proposed in the Joint Permit Application.
- September 27, 2013: the United States Coast Guard approved the State of Oregon’s application for a general bridge permit.
- 2014: After Oregon lawmakers refused to endorse Governor Kitzhaber’s Oregon-only plan to build the Columbia River Crossing Project, Oregon Department of Transportation director Matt Garrett announced that ODOT will shut down the project by May 31, 2014. Expenditures to date total $195 million.
Check out the following links to comments we have submitted to date:
- U.S. Coast Guard bridge permit application, pre-public notice - March 1, 2013
- Oregon Department of State Lands Removal-Fill permit application - March 12, 2013
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 Dredge and Fill permit application - April 15, 2013
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Section 401 Water Quality Certification, generally - May 14, 2013
- Oregon Department of State Lands Removal-Fill permit application addendum - June 14, 2013
- U.S. Coast Guard bridge permit application, post-public notice - June 17, 2013
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 Dredge and Fill permit application addendum - June 24, 2013
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Section 401 Draft Water Quality Certification Decision - July 29, 2013
- U.S. Coast Guard bridge permit application, ongoing review & recent developments - Aug. 16, 2013