Superfund Cleanup Site

People rely on clean water and toxic-free fish. That’s why Columbia Riverkeeper uses the law and grassroots organizing to advocate for cleanup at polluted sites like Bradford Island and surrounding waters.

Listen to the latest episode of Conoce tu Columbia

Wondering what is happening with the Columbia River's latest Superfund site? Check out this conversation about the situation at Bradford Island and surrounding waters Superfund site, featuring Kate Murphy, senior community organizer with Columbia Riverkeeper and Ubaldo Hernández, director and founder of Communidades.

 
Watch Ubaldo Hernández, senior community organizer with Columbia Riverkeeper, share the most recent update on Bradford Island. 

En Español: "La Isla de Bradford:

Fish Advisory

Bradford Island Superfund Cleanup Site from Bonneville Dam Upstream to Ruckel Creek

 
Watch our webinar "Forgotten Toxic Waste Dump: The Bradford Island Story" as a part of our Love Your Columbia event series: 

The problem

People want to feed their families locally-caught fish from one of the most popular recreational fishing areas in the Mid-Columbia—but the Oregon and Washington health departments warn the fish are too toxic to eat. For over 40 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) dumped toxic pollution in and along the Columbia’s shorelines at Bradford Island, located near Bonneville Dam in Multnomah County. Fish caught near the island contain the highest levels of cancer-causing PCBs in the Northwest. 

Indigenous people have fished on Bradford Island and in surrounding waters since time immemorial. Today, Indigenous people and diverse communities use the area for subsistence and recreational fishing despite advisories warning not to eat resident fish. The Corps’s last active cleanup removal occurred in 2007.

How we engage

Riverkeeper pairs in-depth legal and technical research with grassroots organizing to engage people and advocate for a clean Columbia. We also work in solidarity with Yakama Nation, which fought for years for a seat at the table to make critical decisions about a cleanup that affects treaty fishing rights. The goal: final cleanup decisions that protect people’s health and local fish.

After years of community organizing, we had a huge victory in March 2022: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially added Bradford Island and surrounding waters to the nation’s Superfund List. This hard-earned victory could not have been possible without the leadership of Yakama Nation, community members, and the elected officials that stood up for clean water. We are committed to keeping the pressure on to ensure cleanup of Bradford Island and surrounding waters remains a top priority for the federal government. 

Get Involved at Bradford Island:
bradford island, photo by ubaldo hernandez
Take Action

Tell the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps that a timely and effective cleanup of the Bradford Island Superfund site is a top priority.

Bradford Island Logo
Pescando cerca de la Isla Bradford

Una guía para proteger su salud de la contaminación tóxica cerca de la Presa Bonneville

Bradford Island
Fishing Near Bradford Island

A Guide to Protecting Your Health from Toxic Pollution Near Bonneville Dam


Listen to a conversation with Laura Shira from Yakama Nation on "Conoce Tu Columbia" about Bradford Island Contamination levels and why is important for this area to be classified a Superfund site:

 
Legal & Program Director Lauren Goldberg talks Bradford Island Cleanup:

 

Associate Attorney Simone Anter talks Bradford Island Cleanup:

Blog posts, press releases, and information:

Breaking News: Bradford Island

In a huge victory for Columbia River Tribes and all people that rely on a clean Columbia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Bradford Island and surrounding waters of the Columbia River are officially added to the nation’s Superfund List. 

Huge Win for Clean Water

EPA Listing New Superfund Cleanup Site on Columbia

Latest Updates:

OPB Reports: Columbia River’s Bradford Island gets new push for toxic Superfund status