The Portland Meadows track was scheduled to open for training the week of Oct. 7. Magna signed an agreement to lease the facility for three years, and perhaps a fourth, though it plans to build a new racetrack in the Portland area.
Magna Entertainment and the Environmental Protection Agency have struck a deal that will allow Portland Meadows in Oregon to offer live racing this fall and winter. Magna, which now operates the track, scrapped the meet in September when the EPA rejected its plan for removal of surface water.The meet will open Oct. 27, only a week later than scheduled. The Oregonian newspaper reported that Magna devised a plan to contain surface water to keep it from draining into the Columbia Slough on most days. The EPA wanted 100% compliance but said the meet could commence and continue as long as progress is made.
