Take Action: Bradford Island

Do you care about clean water for all? Do you want to work in solidarity with Tribal Nations? Then take action today and advocate for cleanup at the Columbia’s newest Superfund site, located just 35 miles from the Portland-Vancouver metro area near Bonneville Dam.

 

For over 40 years, the U.S. government dumped toxic waste in this area. As a result, resident fish caught in this area have the highest levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Pacific Northwest, making them too toxic to eat. This toxic pollution continues to threaten the health and safety of people who depend on the Columbia River and locally-caught fish.  

Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, Representative Blumenauer, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez:

I am calling on you to hold the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) accountable for cleanup of the Columbia River’s newest Superfund Site, Bradford Island and surrounding waters. Since the area was listed as a national priority in 2022, the Army Corps has dragged its feet negotiating the key agreement required to jumpstart cleanup, the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA). 

Cleanup is a top priority. I am calling on you to demand the Army Corps expedite the completion of the FFA and ensure an effective, timely cleanup of the Bradford Island Superfund Site. Every day that passes is another day people are exposed to these harmful toxins. We must treat this public health emergency and environmental justice issue with the urgency it requires.

One year ago, after years of pressure, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency added Bradford Island and surrounding waters to the list of Superfund Sites—reserved for the most contaminated sites in the country. 

Notably, the promised one-year-deadline to complete the FFA has passed. 

We are counting on your leadership and are calling on you to stand up for those who rely on a clean, safe Columbia. Demand the Army Corps make cleanup a top priority.

Sincerely,

About Bradford Island Cleanup

For over 40 years, the U.S. government dumped toxic pollution in and along the Columbia’s shores at Bradford Island, located near Bonneville Dam.