CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA OVER RIVER CONFLUENCE ON VISUAL APCH TO PDX.

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ROUTINE LETDOWN INTO PDX TERMINAL AREA. WX VFR (CLR). APCH CTL CLRED US FOR 'COLUMBIA VISUAL 10R' AS PUBLISHED 'TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK; 2 MI 3500 FT' CALLED OUR ATTN TO VFR ACFT PASSING OVER CONFLUENCE TOWARD US. WE WERE OUT OF 4000 DSNDING FOR THE VISUAL. APCH CTL SAID 'HE HAS YOUR IN SIGHT: WE SAY TFC ONLY AFTER TCASII RA 'DSND' GIVEN AT 3200 DSNDING. VFR LIGHT ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD R TO L. WE INCREASED DSCNT RATE UNTIL TFC OBSERVED; THEN RESUMED NORMAL DSCNT TO VISUAL APCH 10R. AFTER LNDG APCH CTR WAS CALLED TO CLARIFY WHY VFR TFC WAS XING A PUBLISHED VISUAL APCH CORRIDOR CHKPOINT DURING NORMAL ACR OPS. HIS REPLY WAS 'HE WAS OUTSIDE THE ARSA AND WE WERE NOT CTLING HIM'. HE ADDED; 'WE TRY TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM FLYING NEAR CONFLUENCE WHEN WE DO CONTACT THEM'. THIS IS THE SECOND ENCOUNTER WITH VFR LIGHT ACFT WHILE DSNDING ON A PUBLISHED ARR PROC (WITH TCASII RA ON BOTH) IN THE LAST 2 DAYS! SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG WITH THE ATC SYS WHEN VFR TFC IS ALLOWED TO CONFLICT WITH AIR CARRIER OPS DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT WHILE ON PUBLISHED ARR AND DEPS FROM MAJOR ARPTS. (THE SECOND ENCOUNTER WAS NEAR HIGHTOP IN VICINITY OF ONT ARPT). ATC PROCS ARE INADEQUATE WHEN EVENTS SUCH AS THESE ARE COMMONPLACE.