Hanford is Polluted Enough

Did you know that developers want to build new nuclear reactors along the Columbia River? So-called “small modular nuclear reactors” produce long-lived radioactive waste—and there’s no long-term plan for waste disposal. Get the inside scoop on our newest campaign to protect the Columbia River and the people that rely on it.  

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Dam Operators Forced to Cool Lower Snake River

Thanks to Columbia Riverkeeper’s lawsuit, ​​for the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set limits on oil and hot water pollution from four federal dams on the Lower Snake River. The EPA will now require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to collect pollution samples, report data to the EPA and the public, and ratchet back on pollution.

 

Landmark Pollution Lawsuit

Clark County, WA, marked a major milestone this month, wrapping up seven years of commitments to improve salmon habitat and reduce dirty stormwater pollution under a lawsuit brought by Columbia Riverkeeper, the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, and the Rosemere Neighborhood Association. The lawsuit’s $3 million penalty marked one of the largest citizen-enforcement penalties in Washington state history.   

 

Waterkeepers Unite Around Portland's Denial of Zenith's Oil-by-Rail Facility  

Willamette Riverkeeper and Columbia Riverkeeper filed a motion to intervene in support of the City of Portland at the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). Our intervention will support the city’s effort to defend its historic decision to effectively stop oil-by-rail operations at Zenith’s storage and transfer facility.

 

Treats for Your Eyes and Ears

Member Spotlight: Carmen Selam + Artwork for Goldendale Campaign

As the Goldendale Pumped Storage Development continues seeking license approval to begin construction, Carmen Selam, a multidisciplinary artist, born and raised on the Yakama Nation Reservation, highlights important cultural and religious resources that would be destroyed by this development. Learn more about the campaign here: 

 

Take Action

 

Events & Engagement:

  • RSVP to watch “Climate and the Columbia: Lessons from the Past for the Future”: October 29, 2021, at 12 p.m. Dr. Maureen Walczak and Dr. Alan Mix, environmental scientists at Oregon State University, share their research on the history of climate and flows on the Columbia River—spanning 20,000 years! Learn how the hydrology of the river and the adjacent coastal ocean may be impacted by near-future climate change. They will be joined by Columbia Riverkeeper Senior Attorney Miles Johnson, who will share how temperature relates to the Lower Snake Dam removal campaign.
  • RSVP to watch “What is the Latest on the Hanford Nuclear Site Cleanup?”: November 2, 2021, at 12 p.m. Staff Attorney Simone Anter will give a history lesson about the former nuclear site nestled along the Columbia’s banks, Caroline Cress, from the Washington Attorney General’s Office, McClure Tosch, from Yakama Nation’s Environmental Restoration Waste Management (ERWM) Program, and Nikolas Peterson from Hanford Challenge will explain what the Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing (WIR) evaluation for the Test Bed Initiative (TBI) is. Learn about the latest comment period and how you can get involved! 
  • Virtual Screening and Panel Discussion Fundraiser for Necessity II: November 18, 2021, at 7 p.m.
    Looking for something to do on a cool fall evening? Join us for the virtual screening and panel discussion fundraiser for “Necessity Part II: Rails, Rivers and the Thin Green Line,” a film by Jan Haaken. Funds raised from this event will support the Necessity film series and Columbia Riverkeeper.
  • Conoce tu Columbia on Spotify: It’s easy to listen to your favorite bilingual podcast featuring intersectional issues that impact Columbia River Gorge and Pacific Northwest communities.
     
 

In the News:

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Columbia Riverkeeper | info@columbiariverkeeper.org 
Hood River Office: 541-387-3030 | 407 Portway Avenue Suite 301 Hood River, OR 97031
Portland Office: 503-432-8927 | 1125 SE Madison Street Suite 103A Portland, OR 97214 
Columbia Riverkeeper is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar.

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