Columbia Riverkeeper

COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPERS MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE WATER QUALITY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND ALL LIFE CONNECTED TO IT, FROM THE HEADWATERS TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

FIGHTING FOSSIL FUELSRIVERKEEPER HAS WORKED WITH TRIBAL NATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, STRONG COALITIONS, AND OUR AMAZING MEMBERS TO DEFEAT NEARLY EVERY NEW FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER! THIS INCLUDES THE WORLDS LARGEST FRACKED GAS TO METHANOL REFINERY, THE NATIONS LARGEST OIL-BY-RAIL SHIPPING TERMINAL, AND THE NATIONS LARGEST COAL EXPORT TERMINAL. WESTERN NORTH AMERICA HAS HUGE FRACKED GAS, OIL, AND COAL RESERVES, AND THE COLUMBIA RIVER IS A CONVENIENT ROUTE TO SHIP THESE FOSSIL FUELS TO ASIA. WE STAND IN THE WAY. PREVENTING NEW FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE IS A CRITICAL TASK TO PROTECT OUR CLIMATE. IF FOSSIL FUEL CORPORATIONS BUILD NEW INFRASTRUCTURESHIPPING TERMINALS, PIPELINES, REFINERIESTHEY WILL LOCK US INTO DECADES OF FOSSIL FUEL USE AT A TIME WHEN WE MUST RAPIDLY MOVE TOWARD CLEAN ENERGY AND FEWER PETROCHEMICALS.IN 2021, RIVERKEEPER AND ALLIES CELEBRATED VICTORY WHEN BACKERS OF A CONTROVERSIAL FOSSIL FUEL PROCESSING AND EXPORT PROPOSAL IN KALAMA, WASH., OFFICIALLY ABANDONED ITS FRACKED GAS REFINERY AND PIPELINE PROPOSAL, TERMINATING THE COMPANYS LEASE WITH THE PORT OF KALAMA. THE DECISION COMES AFTER YEARS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL ACTIVISM TO STOP THE MASSIVE FRACKED GAS REFINERY, RESULTING IN A SERIES OF LEGAL DEFEATS. IN EARLY 2021, WASHINGTON STATE DENIED A KEY PERMIT, CITING THE REFINERYS SIGNIFICANT CLIMATE AND SHORELINE IMPACTS. THAT DECISION FOLLOWED STATE AND FEDERAL COURT REJECTIONS OF OTHER PERMITS FOR FAILING TO FULLY ANALYZE THE PROJECTS HARM ON CLIMATE, WATER QUALITY, AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST.WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON, RESIDENTS TO OPPOSE PLANS TO REZONE 800 ACRES OF LAND ADJACENT TO PRIME SALMON HABITAT AT PORT WESTWARD FROM AGRICULTURAL TO INDUSTRIAL. THE REZONE WOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR MORE INDUSTRIAL USE. RIVERKEEPER SUPPORTED COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND PROVIDED LEGAL SUPPORT WORK TO PROTECT SALMON AND FARMLAND. WE ALSO ADVOCATED AGAINST THE EXPANSION OF AN OIL-BY-RAIL TERMINAL AT PORT WESTWARD.IN PORTLAND, RIVERKEEPER AND ALLIES HELPED PREVENT THE EXPANSION OF ZENITH ENERGYS OIL-BY-RAIL SHIPPING TERMINAL. WE PUSHED THE CITY OF PORTLAND TO DENY NEW PIPES THAT WOULD ALLOW ZENITH ENERGY TO GREATLY EXPAND TAR SAND CRUDE SHIPMENTS OUT OF PORTLAND, AND INTERVENED IN ZENITHS CHALLENGE TO PORTLANDS PERMIT DENIAL. AFTER A MULTI-YEAR CAMPAIGN AND LITIGATION, RIVERKEEPER AND ALLIES ALSO PREVAILED OVER THE CONTROVERSIAL PERENNIAL WINDCHASER, A 415-MW FRACKED GAS POWER PLANT PROPOSED IN WESTERN UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON. CONFRONTED WITH MOUNTING PUBLIC PRESSURE AND LITIGATION BROUGHT BY COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER AND FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE, THE DEVELOPER BEHIND THE FOSSIL FUEL PROPOSAL DECIDED TO TERMINATE THE PROJECT AND ASK THE ENERGY FACILITY SITING COUNCIL (EFSC) TO REVOKE THE STATE-ISSUED PERMIT FOR THE PROJECT, CALLED A SITE CERTIFICATE. THIS WAS A MAJOR WIN FOR OUR CLIMATE. IF CONSTRUCTED, PERENNIAL WOULD HAVE EMITTED MORE THAN ONE MILLION TONS OF GREENHOUSE GASSES PER YEAR, MAKING IT THE SIXTH LARGEST STATIONARY SOURCE OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE STATE.IN A WIN FOR GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY, COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER AND OUR PARTNERS PREVAILED IN A LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST OREGONS EFSC. THE OREGON SUPREME COURTS DECISION INVALIDATED SEVERAL EFSC RULES THAT WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITED THE PUBLICS ABILITY TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN CONTESTED CASE HEARINGSAN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS THAT ALLOWS CONCERNED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CHALLENGE A SPECIFIC EFSC ORDER. THE COURT ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT EFSC MUST FORMALLY AMEND A PROJECTS SITE CERTIFICATE IF A FACILITY WILL BE BUILT OR OPERATED IN A WAY THAT DEVIATES FROM THE DESCRIPTION IN ITS SITE CERTIFICATE.

ENGAGING RIVER COMMUNITIESRIVERKEEPER WORKS TO ENGAGE RIVER COMMUNITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CLEAN WATER. WE MONITOR WATER QUALITY, CLEAN UP RIPARIAN AREAS AND BEACHES, CONDUCT OUTREACH TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, RESTORE HABITAT, AND EDUCATE STUDENTS.SEVERAL COMPONENTS OF OUR ENGAGING RIVER COMMUNITIES WERE SUSPENDED IN 2021 DUE TO COVID-19, INCLUDING OUR WATER QUALITY MONITORING AT POPULAR SWIM BEACHES AND OUR NICHOLS NATURAL AREA EDUCATION AND RESTORATION PROGRAM.IN 2021, RIVERKEEPER CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO LATINO COMMUNITIES. THIS INCLUDES DOING CULTURALLY SPECIFIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, PRODUCING BILINGUAL RADIO SHOWS AND PODCASTS, CALLED CONOCE TU COLUMBIA (KNOW YOUR COLUMBIA), ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, AND PROVIDING ADDITIONAL MATERIALS IN SPANISH. OUR SENIOR ORGANIZER ALSO HELPED EXPAND A NEW LATINO-LED ORGANIZATION IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, CALLED COMUNIDADES, DEDICATED TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. IN 2021, COMUNIDADES CONTINUED TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO COVID-19, INCLUDING PROVIDING FREE MASKS AND RESOURCES TO LATINO COMMUNITIES.

STOPPING POLLUTIONRIVERKEEPER PROTECTS CLEAN WATER BY STOPPING TOXIC POLLUTION.TOXIC POLLUTION IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN HARMS AQUATIC LIFE AND THE PEOPLE THAT DEPEND ON HEALTHY FISH AND WILDLIFE. INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES, STORMWATER POLLUTION, MUNICIPAL SEWAGE, AND ILLICIT DUMPING ARE PROBLEMS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS RIGHT NOW. SIMPLY PUT, THE COLUMBIA CONTAINS TOO MUCH TOXIC POLLUTION. AND OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM. NUMEROUS STUDIES SHOW THAT FISH, OSPREY, OTTERS, AND OTHER SPECIES FACE UNSAFE LEVELS OF TOXIC POLLUTION, INCLUDING MERCURY AND OTHER HEAVY METALS, FLAME RETARDANTS, AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS). SO DO HUMANS. NATIVE AMERICANS FACE A 1 IN 50 CANCER RISK FROM REGULARLY CONSUMING FISH.MANY IMMIGRANT AND LOW-INCOME FISHERS LIKELY FARE WORSE. LOW-INCOME URBAN RESIDENTS ARE CURRENTLY CATCHING AND FEEDING FISH TO THEIR FAMILIES THAT CONTAIN UNSAFE LEVELS OF POLLUTION. FOR EXAMPLE, RIVERKEEPER TESTED A SUCKER CAUGHT BY A RUSSIAN IMMIGRANT IN VANCOUVER LAKETHE FISH CONTAINED CANCER-CAUSING PCBS 250% OVER SAFE LEVELS.IN 2021, RIVERKEEPER REDUCED TOXIC POLLUTION IN THE COLUMBIA AND ITS TRIBUTARIES BY IDENTIFYING AND STOPPING ILLEGAL POLLUTION AND ADVOCATING TO STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES FOR BETTER TOXIC REDUCTION POLICIES.RIVERKEEPER RESEARCHED POLLUTION VIOLATIONS AND ENFORCED THE CLEAN WATER ACT. WE PREVENTED THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF ILLEGAL POLLUTION FROM ENTERING THE COLUMBIA RIVER BY BRINGING CLEAN WATER ACT ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. THESE ACTIONS FORCED ILLEGAL POLLUTERS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY RUNNING A CLEANER OPERATION OR INSTALLING BETTER POLLUTION-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY. WE ALSO DETERRED FUTURE POLLUTION BY DEMONSTRATING THAT WE WILL TAKE ACTION WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATORS DO NOT. IN ADDITION, THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS GENERATED PENALTIES PAID BY POLLUTERS TO LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS MITIGATION.THE HANFORD NUCLEAR SITE ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER IS THE MOST CONTAMINATED PLACE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. RIVERKEEPER UTILIZES PUBLIC PRESSURE, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF CLEANUP PLANS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE THOROUGH CLEANUP OF THE SITE. RIVERKEEPER OPPOSED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS PLANS TO RE-LABEL HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE AS LOW-LEVEL IN ORDER TO LEAVE IT IN PLACE, INSTEAD OF MORE PROTECTIVE CLEANUP. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE YAKAMA NATION TO PUSH FOR BETTER AND FASTER CLEANUP OF NUCLEAR WASTE.