Did you know that fish that reside year-round near Bonneville Dam contain some of the highest levels of cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the country, making them too toxic to eat?
Years of persistent advocacy by Tribes, community organizations, and legislators led to this area finally being listed as a Superfund site on the National Priorities List 2022, making it a top-priority cleanup mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Yet, progress has been excruciatingly slow and there is already delay of the agreed-upon expedited cleanup timeline.
This continued inaction puts public health at risk, with those who depend on healthy, locally caught fish most impacted by this environmental justice issue.
Stand with Tribes. Demand Cleanup.
Senators Cantwell, Merkley, Murray, Wyden, Representative Dexter, Representative Gluesenkamp Perez:
I am calling on you to hold the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) accountable for cleanup of the Bradford Island Superfund site at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.
Since the area was listed as a national priority in 2022, the Corps has dragged its feet on cleanup efforts. There are already delays of the agreed-upon expedited timeline, pushing out cleanup and community impacts even further. Please urge the Corps to move forward and look holistically at this site to ensure a swift and thorough cleanup.
Resident fish near Bradford Island have the highest levels of cancer-causing PCB contamination of any fish in the United States, resulting in an ongoing exposure risk to communities who consume resident fish from this area.
After 30 years of injustice, we urge you to stand with Tribes to demand that the Corps clean up its mess now.
About Bonneville Dam Cleanup
For decades, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) dumped toxic waste near Bonneville Dam, leaching toxic contaminants into the Columbia River, and causing some resident fish to contain the highest levels of cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the country…