| Breaking News: Governor Kotek Opposes Fracked Gas Pipeline You spoke up. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek listened. We are thrilled that key elected officials are teaming up for communities and our climate to oppose TC Energy’s proposal to significantly increase fracked gas through the GTN Pipeline expansion. Our attorneys and community organizers are still hard at work trying to convince the final decision maker—the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission—to deny this harmful fossil fuel project. |
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| Victory! After a decade-long effort by Columbia Riverkeeper, all ten federally-owned dams on the Columbia and Lower Snake river have Clean Water Act permits. Dams pollute waterways with oil in the turbines and heat from the reservoirs they create. Columbia Riverkeeper’s legal victories will decrease pollution at the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams in northeastern Washington. |
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| Is it Safe to Swim? Clean water is a right, and all people deserve the opportunity to swim and fish without fear of getting sick. Columbia Riverkeeper monitors water quality at popular Columbia River recreation sites. Check current conditions on Swim Guide, a user-friendly app. |
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| Prevent Oil Spills Storing toxic and flammable fuel on unstable soil next to rivers poses a huge risk to clean water, communities, and salmon. But don’t just take our word for it: According to the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), fuel tank failures caused by a major earthquake pose “an unimaginable threat to the Willamette and Columbia rivers and to the Pacific Ocean.” Join us in demanding that DEQ adopt rules to protect the Columbia and other rivers from a massive fuel spill catastrophe. Act now, send a comment to DEQ. |
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| Emerging Threat to Salmon Columbia Riverkeeper uses science and the law to engage on the latest threats to the Columbia. On June 1, we submitted in-depth technical and legal comments on a proposal to bury a transmission cable under the Columbia River from The Dalles to Portland. If the developer moves forward, Columbia Riverkeeper aims to ensure that tribal governments’ Treaty rights are honored and the Columbia River’s iconic salmon do not suffer. |
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| Member Spotlight: Carlos Marroquin From his native El Salvador to the Pacific Northwest, our newest board member, Carlos Marroquin, has been an activist for varied causes for most of his life. He is a founding member and current board member of Comunidades, a Columbia River Gorge-based group that engages Latinos in environmental and social justice issues. We are honored to have Carlos on Columbia Riverkeeper’s board of directors. |
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| | Take Action: -
Protect the Estuary: NEXT Renewables LLC is asking Columbia County to approve over 3 miles of rail tracks to bring in mile-long trains of feedstock to the proposed refinery. The rail yard will displace farming, impact local water resources, and disrupt the community. Let’s stand together to urge the Columbia County Planning Commission to stop a refinery that, if built, would be one of the largest climate polluters in Oregon. -
Biden on Dams: The Biden Administration just opened a formal public comment period on the Lower Snake River dams. Un-damming the Snake River and replacing the dams’ services is the only realistic option to recover Snake River salmon and honor Tribal rights. Make your voice heard. |
| | Events & Engagement: - Patagonia Store Speakers Event on Dams: June 22, 2023, in Portland, Oregon. We’re teaming with Patagonia to host a special evening of great conversation featuring author and filmmaker Steven Hawley and Columbia Riverkeeper’s Legal Director Miles Johnson.
- Conference: June 24, 2023, in Portland, Oregon. Join Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment on June 24 and listen to activists and environmentalists discuss pressing issues surrounding salmon, orcas, wolves, and grizzlies.
- Benefit Concert: July 9, 2023, in Portland, Oregon. Columbia Riverkeeper Composer-in-Residence Deena T. Grossman returns to Leach Botanical Garden to premiere two flute sextets in a benefit concert for Columbia Riverkeeper and the Garden.
- Tabling: July 13, 2023, in Hood River, Oregon. Columbia Riverkeeper is tabling at a concert for Hillfolk Noir with Gregory Rawlins. If you’re there, come stop by!
- Volunteer: July 29, 2023, in Hood River, Oregon. Join Columbia Riverkeeper for a river cleanup and weed pull at the Nichols Natural Area near the Hood River Waterfront.
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| | In the News - A Poisonous Cold War Legacy That Defies a Solution, The New York Times, May 31, 2023
- Environmentalists meet with EPA to discuss emergency action on northeast Oregon water contamination, Oregon Capital Chronicle, June 1, 2023
- Four tribal chairs: We need a Columbia Basin Initiative for salmon, tribes and energy, The Spokesman-Review, June 4, 2023
- EPA Meets with Environmentalists, Daily Tidings, June 6, 2023
- Officers encourage safe water recreation in the Gorge (Swim Guide mention), Hood River News, June 6, 2023
- Clark Public Utilities board decides to join nuclear power feasibility study, The Columbian, June 6, 2023
- LTE: Pipeline poses a threat, Columbia Gorge News, June 7, 2023
- Climate Orgs Launch Week of Action to End the Era of Fossil Fuels, Common Dreams, June 7, 2023
- ‘It’s going to take all of us’ – Yakama Nation youth learn about Hanford’s legacy, NPR, June 8, 2023
- Climate Activists To Protest Zenith Oil Along the Willamette River, Portland Mercury, June 9, 2023
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