On the heels of public meetings with staffers of the Oregon Division of State Lands seemingly "holding hands" with representatives from Cresmont, come meetings with those same people helping the folks from Clearwater. The problem with this scenario is that both companies are looking to shape the future of Tongue Point....without the involvement of the other. Who are these people and what do these meetings mean?
For the last 20 years, the Division of State Lands has owned what is called the North Tongue Point property on a spit of land just east of Astoria that is also occupied by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Tongue Point Job Corps/MTC and the Clatsop Community College MERTS campus.
While the 40-acre DSL property has had numerous tenants and plans presented over the years, the most recent long-term leaseholder is Cresmont Technical Services, out of Washington. Cresmont's master lease was signed in August, 1994 and they are now due for an increase in rent payments. In an August 19 meeting before the State Land Board in Salem, representatives from Cresmont petitioned to have the increase delayed for a one -year period of time, among other lease adjustments.
At that same SLB meeting, representatives from Clearwater Environmental, Inc., from Alaska, made a presentation titled, "Revitalization of North Tongue Point Astoria, Oregon." Clearwater proposes to purchase the land from DSL and put it to work in four distinct, but related, categories: ship repair and modification, ship dismantling and recycling, bulk carrier hold blasting and coating, and barge construction. That presentation was followed by a brief speech by secretary of state Phil Keisling stating his opinion that the state of Oregon should not be the owner of record for the property.
Both Cresmont and Clearwater have proposed shipbreaking/recycling as a use for the property, despite public opinion to the contrary. However, at a public meeting held August 23 in Astoria, the deputy administrator for the federal Maritime Administration, John Graykowski, stated that he had turned down one proposal (Cresmont's) for that process at NTP and that he was supportive of the proposal now being put forth by Clearwater.
Clearwater's proposal estimates an investment by that company of more than $60 million in the property to get the project up and running. That involves dredging of the waterway around the deep water docks, and investment in utilities serving the area, the piers and buildings currently existing on the property. Once on line, their literature states they will have the capacity to employ up to 500 persons over three years as follows: 75-100 in ship dismantling/recovery, 50-100 in bulk carrier hold blast and coating, 3-6 with lay-berthing, 100-250 in new construction of barges and 20-30 in miscellaneous jobs.
They state they have held briefings on the NTP property with senators Wyden and Stevens, congressmen Wu and Blumenauer, the Oregon Division of State Lands, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Maritime Administration, the Department of Transportation Inspector General, and the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce, among others.
There are a couple of "catches" to their plan. First, Cresmont is still the tenant of record and master leaseholder to the property. Second, the Clearwater plan is based upon legislative changes being made in the way both the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Navy dispose of a deteriorating inventory of battleships. Third, they must be in control, either by ownership or master lease, of the property at NTP. Fourth, they must get funding from the federal government for their activities.
Other proposals and discussions for the property are floating around, including one involving assimilation into the Port of Astoria.
The next regular meeting for the State Land Board is scheduled for 10 am, Tuesday, October 12 at the Division of State Lands office. It is located at 775 Summer Street NE in Salem, Oregon. As of this point, the NTP property is planned for the agenda of that meeting. If you have any opinions about the future of North Tongue Point, we suggest you attend. LCB
Oregon Division of State Lands
Contact: Paul Cleary, director
Address: 775 Summer Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97310-1337
Telephone: 503/378-3805
Fax: 503/378-4844
e-mail: Paul.Cleary@dsl.state.or.us
Website: http://statelands.dls.state.or.us
Hours: M - F, 8a - 5p
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