About Us

The Working Waterfront advocates for sound public policy that promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Established in 2005, the Working Waterfront Coalition (WWC) is an organization of businesses concerned about the environmental health and economic vitality of the Portland harbor.

Portland’s Harbor is a vital employment area; home to thousands of valuable high-wage, high-benefit jobs. The WWC, with its extensive knowledge of harbor industry needs, active industry participation and record of effective advocacy, is dedicated to working with its partners to ensure an appropriate balance between environmental concerns and the needs of river related employers. The coalition’s activities include:

Advocating with local, state and federal officials and agencies on behalf of marine-dependent and river-related businesses.
Working to broaden community understanding of: the importance of the Portland Harbor as one of the most impactful employment areas in the region, and the harbor industries’ dependence on a limited land supply suitable for business needs.
Providing up-to-date information and advice to coalition members regarding developments in the public policy and regulatory arena.

Working Waterfront Coalition members are conscientious stewards of the environment.

They make significant investments in the harbor, consistent with state and federal laws and regulations, to reduce the impacts of human activity in the harbor. After completing many diligent studies and commissioning numerous reports, the WWC has concluded that increased job development and environmental enhancement efforts in the harbor will be impeded by unnecessarily burdensome and duplicative regulation and government-imposed costs.

Newsroom

Industry leaders talk Swan Island workforce development with PCC – January 20, 2016
Industry & Art show offers look at Swan Island, shipyard workers –
September 20, 2012
Finding a balance between job creation and coal export – May 21, 2012
Habitat restoration gets under way at McCarthy Creek watershed in Northwest Portland – February 7, 2012
KXL Business Briefing host Brian Bushlach talks with Alan Sprott, President-Working Waterfront Coalition and VP of Vigor Industrial – August 21, 2011
Portland Harbor: Behind the Scenes Tour and Lecture Series – Neighborhood Notes, April 12, 2011
River Plan heads to court – Portland Tribune, February 17, 2011
River Plan appealed again, but not by city – Daily Journal of Commerce, February 14, 2011
Businesses rethink River Plan win – Portland Business Journal, February 14, 2011
River Plan headed to Court of Appeals – Portland Tribune, February 14, 2011
Goodbye to the river plan – Oregonlive.com, February 14, 2011
The River Plan may be dead in the water – Daily Journal of Commerce, February 2, 2011
Revise River Plan to encourage jobs – Portland Tribune, January 27, 2011
Land board sends River Plan back to city – Portland Business Journal, January 24, 2011

Amid Portland City Council vote, River Plan still divides environmentalists, industrialists – The Oregonian, November 30
Greenbrier emerges from depths of recession cautiously optimistic –
The Oregonian, July 24
UP seeks exemption from River Plan – Portland Business Journal, July 16, 2010
Portland River Plan may be circumvented – Daily Journal of Commerce, June 18, 2010
Gunderson slashes marine production – Portland Business Journal, May 28, 2010
River Plan picks a needless fight – The Oregonian, May 16, 2010
Businesses appeal River Plan – Portland Business Journal, May 10, 2010
The Portland River Plan: wrong plan for the wrong time – The Oregonian, April 29, 2010
Greenbrier CEO blasts Portland business climate – KGW, April 16, 2010
River plan passes – Portland Business Journal, April 15, 2010
Portland officials push River Plan ahead, despite business opposition –
The Oregonian, April 6, 2010
River plan still hits opposition – Portland Tribune, April 1, 2010
River plan needs money to succeed – Portland Tribune, April 1, 2010
Finding the right fit for big ships, small fish – The Oregonian, March 28, 2010
What the Portland River Plan lacks for consensus – The Oregonian, March 26, 2010

Saving fish, and jobs, on the North Reach – The Oregonian, December 14, 2009
Controversy swamps River Plan – Portland Tribune, December 10, 2009
Steer River to Complex Goals – Portland Tribune, December 10, 2009
Waterfront Development Plan Hits Muddy Waters – Portland Business Journal,
September 18, 2009
Exorbitant Fees Mar River Plan – Portland Business Journal, July 31, 2009
Irate businesses protest fees in City’s River Plan – Portland Business Journal,
July 31, 2009
River Plan Draws Groans – Portland Tribune, July 2, 2009
Unlikely allies look to restore riverfront land – March 14, 2008
Competing river visions confound group’s effort – Portland Tribune, August 7, 2007

Member Companies

Advanced American Construction
Ash Grove Cement Company
BNSF
BP/Olympic Pipeline
CalPortland (formerly Glacier Northwest)
CertainTeed
Chevron
Columbia Grain
Evraz Oregon Steel Mills
Foss Maritime Columbia River
The Greenbrier Companies (Gunderson, Inc.)
J.R. Simplot Company
Kinder Morgan
Lampros Steel
Phil Grillo, Miller Nash LLP
Northern Resource Consulting, Inc.
Northwest Pipe Company
NuStar Energy
Perkins Coie
Port of Portland
Portland and Western Railroad
Portland Spirit
Schnitzer Steel Industries
Shaver Transportation Company
Smurfit
Union Pacific Railroad
Vigor Industrial

Contact

For more information about the Working Waterfront Coalition,
please contact:

Ellen Wax, Association Management & Media Contact
Ellen.Wax@WorkingWaterfrontPortland.org