Headlines
Spirit of the River- Hood River
CRK is proud to be hosting our 2nd Annual Spirit of the River- Hood River at the Cultural Center for the Arts on Thursday, April 8th, 2010. The evening will feature a variety of local musicians, poets, dancers, storytellers, and photographers as they showcase their interpretation of the Spirit of the River. The performance line-up includes renowned fisher-poet David Densmore accompanied by the musical stylings of Alexa Wiley. Local Gorge favorites Ben Bonham & friends and One Hum, featuring Richard Tillinghast and Tova Cochrane will also perform, as well as the Scarlet Thistle Tribal Bellydance Troope. Native Storyteller Ed Edmo will also be participating.
Columbia River Restoration Act Introduced In Congress
The Columbia River Restoration Act was introduced in Congress last week. Columbia Riverkeeper thanks Representative Earl Blumenauer and Senator Jeff Merkley for supporting the bill that would designate federal funding toward cleaning up pollution in the Columbia River. The bill recognizes the Columbia Basin as one of the nation’s great water bodies and opens the path to reduce toxic contaminants, improve ecosystems in the Columbia Basin, add significant jobs and begin long term improvements to public health and our economic stability.
DEQ Rejects Bradwood Landing Demands: Attend Important Upcoming Hearing
Last week, The Oregonian reported that Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has rejected demands by NorthernStar's Bradwood LNG project to issue an approval of its proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and pipeline. Instead, DEQ is sticking to its request for additional information about the Bradwood LNG terminal's impacts on salmon and water quality, and stated that NorthernStar's failure to produce the key information "will likely lead to a denial of certification." This is a huge setback for Texas-based proponents of Bradwood LNG who are seeking to rush their project ahead in a collapsing LNG market.
New Proposals for Cleaning Up Radioactive Waste at Hanford: Dept. of Energy's Tank Closure & Waste Management EIS
The public comment period is now open on the Department of Energy's (DOE) "Draft Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement" (EIS). The EIS is a critical component of cleanup at Hanford. Located in southeastern Washington along the Columbia River, Hanford's operations once included a plutonium production complex with nine nuclear reactors. Today, we are faced with a nuclear legacy that continues to threaten the Columbia River. Staggering amounts of radioactive and chemical waste are currently stored in 177 underground tanks at Hanford. Many of these tanks are known to have collectively leaked at least a million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste into the ground during operations. Some contaminants have reached the groundwater.
Riverkeeper Requests Action After Spill
The Oregonian featured Columbia Riverkeeper's work to bring Longview-based Chinook Ventures into compliance with enviromental laws after a spill of petroleum coke into the Columbia River last week. The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) stated that Chinook Ventures, which operates at the former Alcoa aluminum plant, was the likely source of the spill. Columbia Riverkeeper filed a lawsuit against Chinook Ventures in 2009 for improper pollution controls and discharging without a permit. For a year prior to last week's spill, CRK urged Ecology to take appropriate action. We believe that if Ecology does not take enforcement actions and better regulate Chinook Ventures, we will continue to see spills and illegal discharge.
Riverkeeper's FERC Challenge Filed
Columbia Riverkeeper and conservation partners filed the opening legal brief in the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on January 25th, 2010 challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) approval of Bradwood Landing LNG terminal and pipeline.
U.S. DOE Announcement not to Store Mercury at Hanford a "Major Victory" for the Columbia
CRK applauded the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) announcement that Hanford is no longer a top choice as the nation's new mercury waste storage site. DOE has chosen a site in Andrews, Texas, as its preferred alternative, based on the remote location and lack of nearby water. The Hanford Site, in contrast, is perched on the banks of the Columbia River. Last year, DOE included Hanford on a list of seven sites that it would consider for storing mercury waste. At public hearings held in 2009, CRK joined concerned citizens, elected officials, and the Oregon Department of Energy in urging DOE to take a hard look at the environmental impacts of importing more waste to Hanford, which is the nation's largest cleanup site.
Oregon bill to fast-track LNG pipelines is back
In 2008, Bradwood Landing LNG proposed a bill that would fast-track the permitting of their LNG pipelines. That bill was defeated, after opposition from groups ranging from the Yamhill County Farm Bureau to the Sierra Club, and tens of thousands of Oregonians. Why has a controversial bill resurfaced during the short legislative session? Contact your legislator to request that they oppose this harmful bill.
On Thursday, January 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, scientists, and other government regulators from across the Pacific Northwest will be meeting in The Dalles to discuss the latest developments in a region-wide effort to reduce toxics in the Columbia River. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate in this important meeting.
Help identify "river nose" by reporting ear, eye, skin & sinus infections
Do you believe you have an ear, eye, skin or sinus infection related to Columbia river-use? Please visit CRK's office to take a swab for analysis of bacteria cultures by a professional lab (724 Oak St., Hood River 9am to 3:30pm). This is a self-test. You can also help identify cause(s) of river nose by seeking medical attention and reporting your Doctor's diagnosis such as ear, eye,skin & sinus infections, fevers and other ailments to CRK. You can sign a records release form at your Doctor's office. CRK will soon have an online survey to document river ailments and medical results to assess & improve the health of the Columbia.
The Heat is On: Alarming Data on Rising Temperatures, Fish Kills in Columbia River Spurs Call to Action
The Columbia River reaches dangerously high temperatures every summer, threatening juvenile salmon and steelhead and other species that depend on cool water for survival. Columbia Riverkeeper and its team of citizen volunteers have monitored temperature levels throughout the Columbia River and its tributaries since 2006, and the data raise fears that without prompt action from state and federal agencies the Columbia is in danger of massive fish kills.
Tell the Department of State Lands not to give sweetheart deals to LNG companies!
As reported in the Sunday Oregonian, the State of Oregon is leasing 92 acres of waterfront industrial state-owned land for an LNG terminal for just $38,400 per year. This is 3000% less than comparable leases:
Salmon Lawsuit Targets Illegal Columbia River Water Withdrawls
November 5th, 2009- Today the Center for Environmental Law & Policy (CELP) and Columbia Riverkeeper announced their plans to hold the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Interior Secretary Salazar accountable for failing to protect endangered Columbia River salmon and steelhead by expanding the nation’s largest federal irrigation project—the Columbia Basin Project, located in eastern Washington. The impending lawsuit is intended to stop the Bureau from building a new pipeline that is capable of delivering over 202,000 acre-feet of Columbia River water each year, which is equivalent to over 65 million Olympic size pools.
Hey NW Natural! Stop the LNG Pipeline!
During our long fight to keep destructive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) out of Oregon, we've come to this disappointing realization: NW Natural is the LNG pusher. Now NW Natural is threatening to ruin family farms with their new LNG pipeline. Please join the Hey NWNatural Campaign today!
Thanks for a GREAT event!
Columbia Riverkeeper's 7th Annual Art and Experience Auction was held on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at the University of Oregon's White Stag Building in downtown Portland! The event was a HUGE success-- thanks to everyone who came out in support of the River!
LNG company's dredging studies flawed: Expect delays
The Oregonian reports that "The marathon regulatory review of a liquefied natural gas terminal proposed on the Columbia River just got longer." The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sent a joint letter to Bradwood Landing on September 25, 2009 saying that Bradwood's analysis of the dredging impacts of the LNG terminal is flawed and Bradwood must conduct new data collection and modeling. This is very significant for 3 reasons:
Breaking News: Intersex Bass in the Columbia
Public Interest Group Calls on Oregon and Washington to Respond to Latest Study Showing Alarming Rates of Sex Changes in Columbia River Fish
Proposed Nestle Bottling Plant in Cascade Locks: Update
Columbia Riverkeeper is closely monitoring the Nestle Corporation's plans to tap into a Columbia River Gorge spring for a new water bottling plant in Cascade Locks, Oregon.
Victory: FERC must produce Palomar landowner list
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon ruled in favor of Columbia Riverkeeper and Willamette Riverkeeper in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit regarding the Palomar pipeline. The Court ruled that FERC must give us the address list of all landowners on the proposed Palomar Pipeline route. The Palomar pipeline is a joint venture between NW Natural and TransCanada and is designed to carry gas from the Bradwood Landing LNG terminal east of Astoria.
Adopt-a-River Volunteer Resources
Resources are now avaliable on the Adopt-a-River and Water Quality Monitoring pages. Thanks for your patience.
Kalama Coal Plant is Officially Dead
Columbia Riverkeeper celebrated a major victory against global warming and dirty air on May 12, 2009 when Energy Northwest terminated its application for a new coal-fired power plant in Kalama, Washington. “The coal plant is officially dead,” stated Columbia Riverkeeper’s Executive Director Brett VandenHeuvel. “This is a great day for clean air and clean water.”
Proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Coal Plants Threaten Columbia Estuary!
NorthernStar Natural Gas is a Texas based energy speculator that has proposed a plan to build what would be the first LNG import and storage terminal on the west coast United States at Bradwood, Oregon, which is about a half hour east of Astoria. The facility would import more LNG than was imported into the entire United States in 2006 and more than double the average amount of gas currently used in Oregon.
Bill Clinton and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak at Waterkeeper Alliance conference
"It was a real treat to meet President Clinton in a small setting- he thanked all the Riverkeepers for the great work we do, so I'm passing that on to all our members and volunteers," stated Columbia Riverkeeper's Brett VandenHeuvel. Brett and Staff Attorney, Lauren Goldberg, attended the Waterkeeper Alliance conference in New York City from June 24-28.
DEQ Releases Inadequate Pollution Reduction Plan for PGE Boardman
Groups say the plan locks Oregon into a future reliant on dirty coal-powered electricity, fails to protect parks, wilderness areas, and the Columbia River Gorge.
Bureau of Reclamation gets it wrong by rushing to approve Lake Roosevelt drawdown
Federal agency dismisses concerns over climate change impacts to Columbia River, cost to taxpayers and ratepayers, toxins and public health, water future
Demand Hanford Clean-Up
As most of us know, Hanford is the most contaminated site in North America. Since 1989 the government has been trying to cleanup the radioactive and chemical waste at Hanford. If Hanford is not cleaned up in a timely manor the waste will permanently contaminate the life-blood of the NW: our Columbia River.
