Port of Portland v. Oregon Center for Environmental Health

Defendants appeal a general judgment that granted declaratory relief to plaintiff and declared material exempt from disclosure under the Inspection of Public Records Law, ORS 192.410 to 192.505.

The material at issue is, in essence, a joint defense agreement between several entities that were designated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for the cleanup of an area in the lower Willamette River commonly referred to as the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. Defendants requested that plaintiff Port of Portland (Port) disclose the agreement…