The Columbia River and its people upstream of Chief Joseph Dam in north-central Washington have been without salmon for nearly 100 years. But that’s slowly beginning to change, thanks to tireless work by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and the Spokane Tribe of Indians. Read more
The end of the year is often a time of reflection—looking back at the months behind us while anticipating the possibilities a new year holds. In the eight months since joining Columbia Riverkeeper’s staff, I’ve seen firsthand how Columbia Riverkeeper fights tirelessly to protect this beautiful corner of the world. Joining a staff that is passionate and skilled at protecting clean water, community health, and vulnerable species has helped make me a better advocate and excites me for the work ahead. Read more
Columbia Riverkeeper teams with river communities and works in solidarity with Tribal Nations to fight for environmental and climate justice. Read more
As a local nonprofit with a strong track record of making a difference no matter what political party is in power, our team will continue to fight the good fight. Read more
Big tech made a big splash recently. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft all announced plans to fuel their voracious appetite for energy, needed for AI and data centers, using new or resurrected nuclear power plants. In our region, Amazon now says it wants in on a scheme to build new nuclear plants on the Columbia River at Hanford. Read more
I don’t have to tell you that the recent federal election results are not good for the Columbia River and those who depend on it.
Columbia Riverkeeper’s range of talents—including legal acumen, on-the-ground organizing, savvy communications, and a large, active membership—give us the tools to curtail some of the worst effects of the election in our region. Read more
We know Zenith Energy has a history of violations and misleading regulators. So we decided to answer the question: just how many violations has Zenith committed? Read more
Last week marked the end of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) comment period on the NEXT refinery’s water quality permit. DEQ is proposing to issue a permit that will not protect the Columbia River and surrounding waterways from NEXT’s pollution. We know that siting a major refinery on wetlands near the Columbia River Estuary is a horrible idea. That’s why we gave DEQ a laundry list of reasons to deny the permit. Read more
Webinar on the problems with Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs)
By Kelly Campbell, Policy Director
Columbia Riverkeeper explores the problems with “new” nuclear power, why it is not part of a just transition to a clean energy future, and why siting more nuclear power plants on the Columbia River should be a non-starter in the Read more
How the Clean Water Act is forcing the Army Corps to get serious about reducing heat pollution from the Lower Snake River reservoirs Updated Sept. 5, 2024 Miles Johnson, Legal … Read more
Hanford team has been up to!
This June, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation’s (Yakama Nation) Environmental Restoration/Waste Management (ERWM) program and Columbia Riverkeeper hosted the fourth annual Hanford Journey. Near the banks and on the water of the Hanford Reach, the event brought together scientists, activists, artists, Tribal elected officials, elders, young people, birds, elk, and Spiel Yi (coyote in Sahaptin), to share stories and learn about the Hanford Nuclear Site. Read more
