Rice Island is an unloved bit of land just offshore from western Wahkiakum County, a sandy shoal that decades of dredge-spoils dumping turned into a haven for fish-eating birds. Now, somebody wants it. It will be interesting to see whether a flirtation by outsiders suddenly makes the island appear more alluring to local eyes.

    The Caspian terns and cormorants have largely been moved along. Rice Island primarily consists of an open shelf of sand, partially fringed by a narrow band of vegetation and oozing over into Washington. At least in recent memory, it is a product of Port of Astoria dumping.

    A U.S. company has an interest in extracting iron-rich sand at the site in combination with a South Korean firm.

    As a general proposition, it would be good for someone to make productive use of a neglected resource, while making more room at the site for future port spoils. The port commission should make a long-term plan for the site and then stick to it in the absence of significant fresh facts or circumstances.

    But gaining a clear path to utilizing the island will be anything but simple. Despite the ports role in creating it, both states have some claim to it. This title question has to be resolved, with a minimum of time and expense, before any plans move forward.

    There also is undoubtedly a need to make certain that any future operations at Rice Island do not free contaminants or turbidity into the waters of the Columbia. And whomever owns the island should be prepared for legal and regulatory questions from both states and perhaps by outside environmental groups. The impacts of mining operations on fish, birds and other wildlife will have to be addressed.

    Taxpayers should not have to bear any costs from any scheme to profit from the island.