On July 2, 2012 the Crag Law Center and Organizing People-Activating Communities (OPAL) launched a lawsuit challenging the Columbia River Crossing project on behalf of an environmental justice community living on Hayden Island. Local citizens living in the low-income community are challenging the controversial, $3.6 billion project to protect the air quality, livability, and emergency services in their neighborhood.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Portland, Oregon, alleges that the federal government failed to disclose the numerous and widespread impacts on this vulnerable community, which includes many elderly people living in manufactured homes who do not have independent transportation. The project has been a lightning rod for criticism in the Portland Metro area and would result in more than six years of construction-related impacts on this small neighborhood. As one of three sites where major construction activities will take place and where two highway interchanges will be built, Hayden Island stands to suffer some of the most severe effects of this behemoth construction project. Crag and OPAL are teaming up to protect the interests of the Hayden Island manufactured home community and to ensure that their concerns are not swept under the rug by the federal government.
Cragβs is representing the Hayden Island Livability Project (HILP), Hayden Island Manufactured Home Community Homeowners Association, OPAL, and several residents of Hayden Island in the case.
Read the Complaint.
I would like to thank CRAG, OPAL, and Jonathan Ostar for filing this lawsuit on Tuesday on behalf of Hayden Island Livability Project (HILP) and the Homeowner’s Association of the Hayden Island Manufactured Home Community. The support, teaching, and level of expertise given by Jonathan and OPAL to HILP over the past several years has been sincerely appreciated.
If a 1000 members of a community are being asked to shoulder an excessive burden for the greater good (such as updating an interstate bridge, expanding a mall, or developing more business on West Hayden Island) then this community should be supported and protected by any means possible by the agencies (the CRC, the Port of Portland, the Jantzen Beach Mall, and the City of Portland) responsible for creating the excessive burden in the first place.
Linda Caso 1501 N. Hayden Island Drive, #14B, Portland OR 97217