CAMAS MILL DISTRICT PLAN
Discussion Draft
January 6, 2026
and economic growth favoring public transportation. An emerging planning philosophy has been well studied and concluded this planning alternative is the superior way to meet strict metrics for VMT and GHG reductions, and reduce municipal costs for service, in a fast growing county. Interim Actions . The MTCA provides an opportunity for Interim Actions. This process, could allow focus on the CBC site, for example, to track separately and on a faster timeline than the more complicated main mill site. CBC has capacity for significant economic development and housing well within the Comprehensive Plan’s timeframe. This would require the city to provide deeper input and a seek an Interim Action in the Our Camas 2045 itself. A current example of an IA process is Port Angeles’ Rayonier former paper mill site. This example has a cautionary tale as well: an industrial cleanup of an industrial site requires a covenant. Future public use is prohibited for areas remaining industrial. This is how the Camas Mill continues to designated. Such could be the fate of Camas’ economic heart . 4 Appendix provides further discussion.
How Camas Got to this Point: The Creation of the CAG In early 2021, the Camas community learned the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) had negotiated a draft “Agreed Order” for the environmental remediation of the Camas Mill. During a routine 30-day public comment the community learned this draft framework lacked a meaningful public input process. The community asked for the creation of a Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the cleanup. 5 The CAG was supported by Camas’ own Denis Hayes, who left Camas growing up in a mill worker family to become the National
Organizer for the original Earth Day. The CAG’s first two years involved outreach to the 6 community. Outreach centered on the mill’s history, the cleanup, and how the state’s Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) works with communities to assure the required cleanup provides the necessary foundation for the community’s future. Pursuant to a DOE grant, the Downtown Camas Association (DCA) organized the CAG. The CAG received input from 1,000 in-person interactions at 5 events and numerous social media contacts. Beyond conversations with CAG members, “dot” exercises like one shown to the right provided further input. See Pages 3 and 6 https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/2509041o.pdf 4 See Camas Washougal Post-Record article for background 5 See letter to Laura Watson, Past Director, Washington Department of Ecology dated 9 May 2021 6 Page 5 of 35
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