Clean 'putrid waste conveyance'

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OGDEN -- Huddled under an umbrella Friday as rain fell, noted environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pointed to a park bench on a section of trail along the Ogden River and chuckled.

He found it amusing that anyone would want to sit there and gaze out over the polluted river, which he described as a "putrid waste conveyance."

Kennedy, chairman of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national organization dedicated to keeping waterways free of pollution, trudged along the trail with dozens of community leaders to launch a proposed effort to clean up a two-mile section of the river downtown.

The initiative is being spearheaded by California businessman Gadi Leshem, who hopes to rehabilitate the waterway in conjunction with Renaissance Village, a 200-unit development he plans to build as part of the second phase of the Ogden River Project.

Kennedy said the Ogden River is the city's greatest asset and must be preserved.

He elaborated on that theme during a river-restoration kickoff event attended by about 600 Friday at the AmeriCan Center, which is near the Ogden River at Grant Avenue and 20th Street.

Over the years, Kennedy said, the city has "turned its back" on the river, which has become an "embarrassment."

However, he said there is hope and predicted that, as cleanup efforts proceed, prosperity will flow into the city.

"That's what you are going to see as you begin to reconstruct this waterway," he said.

Kennedy said he is impressed with the "commitment to community" that seems prevalent in Ogden.

"That's what protecting the environment is all about," he said. "We're not protecting the environment for the sake of the fishes and birds. We are protecting it because we recognize that nature is the infrastructure of our communities."

Protecting the environment creates safe, clean cities that provide opportunities for "dignity and enrichment" for generations.

Economic rebirth in such major cities as Boston, San Francisco and San Antonio has been sparked by the cleanup of waterfronts, Kennedy said.

"The best investment you can make is by restoring our waterfronts. (The Ogden River) is the biggest asset you have in this city, and you should turn it into a financial asset for the people."

Kennedy also discussed the economic impact of ensuring clean waterways.

"Good environmental policy 100 percent of the time is identical to good economic policy," he said. "But if we do what some of the polluters urge us to do and treat the planet as if it were a business in liquidation, we can convert our natural resources to cash as quickly as possible and have a few years of pollution-based prosperity.

"But our children are going to pay for our joy ride."

He concluded by saying "pollution makes a few people rich by making everyone else poor."

Leshem told those at the event he is counting on their support in cleaning up a section of the river that is part of the proposed Renaissance Village development he hopes to build in connection with the second phase of the city's Ogden River Project.

"It's a process that we can make happen. I can't do it alone. It's too big."

Leshem is working on a master plan for the river cleanup and hopes to submit federal and state permit applications for the project next year. Remediation of the river would include removal of debris along the banks and the planting of new vegetation.

The river's channel would also be realigned, allowing for an improved habitat for plants and wildlife. There would also be designated fishing areas, as well as a whitewater kayaking feature near Gibson Avenue.

Construction on Renaissance Village, a 60- to 80-acre development, may get under way in 2009 and could be completed by 2014, Leshem said.

The project would likely be built in phases and would include about 200 commercial and residential units.

Dwellings would be clustered in at least three adjoining villages that would cater to artists, outdoor enthusiasts and baby boomers, with boutiques and restaurants along the riverfront.

Learn more about the project at www.dialogden.com.

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