Community Forum on Bradford Island Cleanup 8/6
Cost: Free! Includes complimentary smoked salmon, door prize raffles, and thought-provoking speakers.
Please RSVP below so we know how much salmon to order!
Forgotten Toxic Waste Dump
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WHAT: Community Forum on Bradford Island Cleanup. Why has government cleanup languished at one of the most toxic sites on the Columbia River? Get the scoop from Columbia Riverkeeper, the Oregon Health Authority, and the owner of Northwest Fish Hogs, a local tribal fishing business. Get inspired to advocate for a clean Columbia.
- WHO: Speakers include Lauren Goldberg, Legal and Program Director for Columbia Riverkeeper, Rebecca Hillwig, Natural Resource Specialist with the Oregon Health Authority, and Rebeccah Winnier, owner of Northwest Fish Hogs and Yakama Nation tribal member.
- WHEN: Tuesday, August 6, 2019, doors open at 6 p.m., speakers from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
- WHERE: The Gorge Pavilion, 395 SW Portage Road, Cascade Locks, OR.
- COST: Free! Come at 6 p.m. for smoked salmon. *RSVP above!
Background information
- Take Action: Ask Congress to restore funding for cleanup Bradford Island
- Fact Sheet: Demand Government Cleanup at Columbia River Toxic Cleanup Site
- Fact Sheet: Fishing Near Bradford Island: A Guide to Protecting Your Health from Toxic Pollution Near Bonneville Dam
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bradford Island Cleanup Website
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Bradford Island Cleanup Website
- Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission Report on Tribal Fish Consumption
- Oregon Health Authority Fish Advisory for Bonneville Dam
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Website on Cleanup Laws
- Learn more
About Bradford Island Cleanup and Fish Advisories
Decades of pollution by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)—and languishing cleanup—threatens people’s health, fish, and wildlife. And pollution along the Columbia River has a disproportionate impact on people of color. For example, studies show that Native Americans in the Columbia Basin eat significantly more locally-caught fish and shellfish that non-tribal members.
The Corps and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have a voluntary cleanup agreement to evaluate and clean up various sources of contaminants on the island. The last time the Corps engaged in new cleanup: 2007. Subsequent reports and sampling concluded that PCB concentrations in resident fish remain extremely high. The area is also contaminated with lead, mercury, pesticides, and petroleum chemicals.
The Corps and DEQ plan to decide on critical upland cleanup actions in 2019 and 2020—and the public can weigh-in during public comment periods and at hearings. In future years, the Corps will make decisions about in-river cleanup. Learn more
