04/03/2002

By TYPHANNY TUCKER, Associated Press Writer

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bonneville Dam was placed in a virtual lockdown. Visitors were turned away and workers had to present identification at the door.

But the power generating house and navigation lock of the first dam built on the Columbia River have reopened to visitors -- although they must be accompanied by an Army Corps of Engineers guide.

At the visitor centers on both sides of the river, they can walk unescorted and watch salmon swimming upstream in the dam's viewing rooms.

Security restrictions at the dam have been relaxed because the facility is a major draw for tourists.

"We are trying to weigh safety with responsibility to the public," said Dawn Edwards, corps spokeswoman. "Recreation is very important in the (Columbia River) Gorge, and when our facility closed to visitors it had a real impact on other businesses in the area."

Seven months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, a relaxing or "fine-tuning" of heightened security is apparent at some facilities in Oregon -- including 17 other dams operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Travelers line up at a security checkpoint at Portland International Airport. (kgw.com File Photo)

The short-term parking area nearest the terminal at Portland International Airport has re-opened, although vehicles entering that area must be searched by a private security firm.

Security staff are looking for large objects in vehicles, and the search usually takes less than a minute, said Port of Portland spokesman Steve Johnson.

Short-term parking at Medford Airport also has reopened subject to a search, said airport director Bern Case.

"People can sit in their car but they have to pop the trunk and open doors," Case said.

Large vehicles will be redirected, along with cars that have "too much junk, or sit too low on their shocks," he said.

New security measures adopted at the Capitol in Salem have not been changed.

Installation of cameras around the grounds and metal roll-up doors in the Capitol's underground garage was done quickly in the weeks following Sept. 11 but no other steps to boost security have been taken.

"Historically, this is a building owned by the public, so it must be accessible to everyone," said Herb Colomb, facilities services manager for the Capitol.

Security remains tight at the Army's chemical weapons depot in Hermiston.

Since Sept. 11, civilians have not been allowed to take guided tours of the depot, which stores part of the national stockpile of obsolete nerve and mustard gas weapons. National Guard soldiers continue to patrol there while airspace around the depot remains closed to air traffic in a 5-mile radius up to 10,000 feet.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)