COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER
407 Portway Ave 301, Hood River, OR 97031 columbiariverkeeper.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE WATER QUALITY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND ALL LIFE CONNECTED TO IT, FROM THE HEADWATERS TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. OUR STRATEGY FOR PROTECTING THE COLUMBIA INCLUDES WORKING IN RIVER COMMUNITIES AND PROTECTING THE PEOPLE, FISH AND WILDLIFE THAT DEPEND ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER.

COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPERS MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE WATER QUALITY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND ALL LIFE CONNECTED TO IT, FROM THE HEADWATERS TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

PROTECTING OUR REGION FROM FOSSIL FUELSRIVERKEEPER HAS WORKED WITH TRIBAL NATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, STRONG COALITIONS, AND OUR AMAZING MEMBERS TO DEFEAT NEARLY EVERY NEW FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER! THIS INCLUDES THE NATIONS LARGEST OIL-BY-RAIL SHIPPING TERMINAL AND THE NATIONS LARGEST COAL EXPORT TERMINAL. WESTERN NORTH AMERICA HAS HUGE FRACKED GAS, OIL, AND COAL RESERVES, AND THE COLUMBIA RIVER IS A CONVENIENT ROUTE TO SHIP THESE FOSSIL FUELS TO ASIA. WE STAND IN THE WAY. PREVENTING NEW FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE IS A CRITICAL TASK TO PROTECT OUR CLIMATE. IF FOSSIL FUEL CORPORATIONS BUILD NEW INFRASTRUCTURESHIPPING TERMINALS, PIPELINES, REFINERIESTHEY WILL LOCK US INTO DECADES OF FOSSIL FUEL USE AT A TIME WHEN WE MUST RAPIDLY MOVE TOWARD CLEAN ENERGY AND FEWER PETROCHEMICALS.RIVERKEEPER AND ALLIES ARE FIGHTING TO STOP THE WORLDS LARGEST FRACKED-GAS-TO-METHANOL REFINERY IN KALAMA, WA. THE COMPANY WOULD SHIP THE METHANOL TO CHINA TO MAKE PLASTIC OR BURN AS A FUEL. IN 2019 WE PARTNERED WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TO PUSH THE STATE OF WASHINGTON TO COMPLETE A NEW ANALYSIS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THE MASSIVE PETROCHEMICAL REFINERY. WE PRODUCED STRONG EARNED AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE BROADLY THE IMPACTS OF THIS PROJECT.IN ADDITION, RIVERKEEPER BUILT POWER IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES BY RECRUITING, INSPIRING, AND TRAINING LOCAL ACTIVISTS ACROSS FIVE COMMUNITIES. WE HELPED ORGANIZE AND TRAIN OVER 150 VOLUNTEER ACTION TAKERS IN 10 COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING: KALAMA, LONGVIEW, AND VANCOUVER, WA, AND WARRENTON, ASTORIA, CLATSKANIE, RAINIER, ST. HELENS, SCAPPOOSE, AND PORTLAND, OR.WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH COLUMBIA COUNTY RESIDENTS TO OPPOSE PLANS TO REZONE 800 ACRES OF LAND ADJACENT TO PRIME SALMON HABITAT AT PORT WESTWARD, OR FROM AGRICULTURAL TO INDUSTRIAL. THE REZONE WOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR MORE INDUSTRIAL USE. RIVERKEEPER SUPPORTED COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND PROVIDED LEGAL WORK TO PROTECT SALMON AND FARMLAND. WE ALSO ADVOCATED AGAINST THE EXPANSION OF AN OIL-BY-RAIL TERMINAL AT PORT WESTWARD.IN PORTLAND, RIVERKEEPER AND ALLIES HELPED PREVENT THE EXPANSION OF ZENITH ENERGYS OIL-BY-RAIL SHIPPING TERMINAL. WE PUSHED THE CITY OF PORTLAND TO DENY NEW PIPES THAT WOULD ALLOW ZENITH ENERGY TO GREATLY EXPAND TAR SAND CRUDE SHIPMENTS OUT OF PORTLAND.RIVERKEEPER ALSO PRESSURED THE CITY OF LONGVIEW TO REJECT A HUGE ANHYDROUS AMMONIA PLANT BY USING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO HIGHLIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACTS OF A NEW POLLUTION THREAT ADJACENT TO THE MOST LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. RIVERKEEPER WORKED WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS FOR THREE YEARS TO RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE HEALTH AND CLIMATE DANGERS OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA. WE CELEBRATED VICTORY IN 2020 WHEN THE COMPANY PULLED OUT OF THE CONTROVERSIAL PROJECT.RIVERKEEPER ALSO HELPED LEAD THE POWER PAST FRACKED GAS COALITION BY ACTING AS CO-DIRECTOR AND THE FISCAL SPONSOR.

ENGAGING RIVER COMMUNITIESRIVERKEEPER WORKS TO ENGAGE RIVER COMMUNITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CLEAN WATER. WE MONITOR WATER QUALITY, CLEAN UP RIPARIAN AREAS AND BEACHES, CONDUCT OUTREACH TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, RESTORE HABITAT, AND EDUCATE STUDENTS.PEOPLE OFTEN ASK OUR STAFF: "IS IT SAFE TO SWIM?" TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, RIVERKEEPER PROVIDES REAL-TIME WATER QUALITY DATA FOR POPULAR SWIM BEACHES IN PORTLAND, VANCOUVER, AND THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. RIVERKEEPER HAS BEEN TESTING THE COLUMBIA FOR E. COLI BACTERIA FOR OVER A DECADE. OUR GOAL IS TO ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO ENJOY OUR RIVERS SAFELY. FECAL BACTERIA IN WATER CAN CAUSE NAUSEA, DIARRHEA, AND INFECTIONS, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY. SURPRISINGLY, NO LOCAL OR STATE AGENCY REGULARLY TESTS POPULAR COLUMBIA RIVER SWIM BEACHES. COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER FILLS THAT GAP, WHILE ENGAGING VOLUNTEER RIVER STEWARDS. IN 2019, RIVERKEEPER PROMOTED SAFE SWIMMING AND RECREATING BY COLLECTING E. COLI BACTERIA DATA AT NINE SWIM BEACHES AND RECREATION LOCATIONS ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER.OUR DATA DOES NOT SIT ON A SHELF. WE POST E. COLI DATA THROUGH THE SWIM GUIDE SMARTPHONE APP AND ON OUR WEBSITE. THE SWIM GUIDE APP NOW HAS OVER 4 MILLION USERS. IN 2019 OREGON USERSHIP WAS UP 17%, AND COLUMBIA RIVER BEACHES WERE VIEWED 40,700 TIMES. FORTUNATELY, E. COLI IS TYPICALLY WITHIN SAFE LEVELS, SO OUR DATA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE WATER.IN ADDITION, RIVERKEEPER IS ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS AND STUDENTS TO RESTORE HABITAT AT THE NICHOLS NATURAL AREA, A FORMER INDUSTRIAL SITE ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER IN HOOD RIVER, OR. THE STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HELP DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND MANAGE THE NATURAL AREA WILL GAIN PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP BY MAKING A BROWNFIELD TURN GREEN. AT NICHOLS, LEARNING IS NOT CONFINED BY CLASSROOM WALLS. YOUNG STUDENTS LEARN TO PLANT TREES AND INVENTORY BUGS. THEY MAY SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WHY THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS NEST IN THE NICHOLS BASIN. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HELP PLAN THE RESTORATION SITE AND SAMPLE WATER QUALITY. AND STUDENTS LEARN HOW IMAGINATION AND THE POWER OF COMMUNITY CAN TRANSFORM OUR RIVER.RIVERKEEPER ALSO INCREASED OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO LATINO COMMUNITIES IN 2019. WE ENGAGED OVER 300 LATINO STUDENTS AND ADULTS TO HELP RESTORE A HIGH-PROFILE INDUSTRIAL SITE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND PRODUCED TWENTY BILINGUAL RADIO SHOWS AND PODCASTS, CALLED CONOCE TU COLUMBIA (KNOW YOUR COLUMBIA), ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. OUR SENIOR ORGANIZER ALSO HELPED CREATE A NEW LATINO-LED ORGANIZATION IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, CALLED COMUNIDADES, DEDICATED TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

FIGHTING FOR CLEAN WATER AND SALMONCOLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER (RIVERKEEPER) PROTECTS CLEAN WATER AND SALMON BY STOPPING TOXIC POLLUTION AND PROTECTING HABITAT.TOXIC POLLUTION IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN HARMS AQUATIC LIFE AND THE PEOPLE THAT DEPEND ON HEALTHY FISH AND WILDLIFE. INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES, STORMWATER POLLUTION, MUNICIPAL SEWAGE, AND ILLICIT DUMPING ARE PROBLEMS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS RIGHT NOW. SIMPLY PUT, THE COLUMBIA CONTAINS TOO MUCH TOXIC POLLUTION. AND OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM. NUMEROUS STUDIES SHOW THAT FISH, OSPREY, OTTERS, AND OTHER SPECIES FACE UNSAFE LEVELS OF TOXIC POLLUTION, SUCH AS MERCURY AND OTHER HEAVY METALS, FLAME RETARDANTS, AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS). SO DO HUMANS. NATIVE AMERICANS FACE A 1 IN 50 RISK OF CANCER RISK FROM REGULARLY CONSUMING FISH.MANY IMMIGRANT AND LOW-INCOME FISHERS LIKELY FARE WORSE. LOW-INCOME URBAN RESIDENTS ARE CURRENTLY CATCHING AND FEEDING FISH TO THEIR FAMILIES THAT CONTAIN UNSAFE LEVELS OF POLLUTION. FOR EXAMPLE, RIVERKEEPER TESTED A SUCKER CAUGHT BY A RUSSIAN IMMIGRANT IN VANCOUVER LAKETHE FISH CONTAINED CANCER-CAUSING PCBS 250% OVER SAFE LEVELS.IN 2019, RIVERKEEPER REDUCED TOXIC POLLUTION IN THE COLUMBIA AND ITS TRIBUTARIES BY IDENTIFYING AND STOPPING ILLEGAL POLLUTION AND ADVOCATING TO STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES FOR BETTER TOXIC REDUCTION POLICIES.RIVERKEEPER RESEARCHED POLLUTION VIOLATIONS AND ENFORCED THE CLEAN WATER ACT. WE PREVENTED OVER THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF ILLEGAL POLLUTION FROM ENTERING THE COLUMBIA RIVER BY BRINGING CLEAN WATER ACT ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. THESE ACTIONS FORCED ILLEGAL POLLUTERS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY RUNNING A CLEANER OPERATION OR INSTALLING BETTER POLLUTION-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY. WE ALSO DETERRED FUTURE POLLUTION BY DEMONSTRATING THAT WE WILL TAKE ACTION WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATORS DO NOT. IN ADDITION, THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS GENERATED PENALTIES PAID BY POLLUTERS TO LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS MITIGATION.RIVERKEEPER ALSO PUSHED FOR MORE PROTECTIVE POLLUTION-DISCHARGE PERMITS TO REDUCE TOXIC POLLUTION IN OUR REGION. WE REACHED A LEGAL SETTLEMENT IN 2018 THAT REQUIRED THE STATE OF OREGON TO MODIFY ITS INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER PERMIT TO REDUCE TOXIC POLLUTION. IN 2019, RIVERKEEPER SERVED ON OREGONS INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ADVOCATED FOR THE STATE TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS FOR RIVERS ALREADY OVERBURDENED BY POLLUTION. AS A RESULT OF OUR LAWSUIT AND POST-LITIGATION ADVOCACY, OREGON IS ON TRACK TO ADOPT ONE OF THE NATIONS MOST PROTECTIVE INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER PERMITS.THE HANFORD NUCLEAR SITE ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER IS THE MOST CONTAMINATED PLACE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. RIVERKEEPER UTILIZES PUBLIC PRESSURE, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF CLEANUP PLANS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE THOROUGH CLEANUP OF THE SITE. RIVERKEEPER OPPOSED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS PLANS TO RELABEL HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE AS LOW-LEVEL IN ORDER TO LEAVE IT IN PLACE, INSTEAD OF MORE PROTECTIVE CLEANUP. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH YAKAMA NATION TO HOST THE HANFORD JOURNEY, A RIVERSIDE EVENT AT HANFORD TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO PROTECT THE COLUMBIA RIVER FROM HANFORDS NUCLEAR WASTE. THE HANFORD JOURNEY EARNED STRONG MEDIA COVERAGE AND FEATURED A CEREMONY, DYNAMIC SPEAKERS, A PERFORMANCE BY THE YAKAMA NATION SWAN DANCERS, LUNCH, AND TOURS. THE EVENT ALSO HONORED THE LATE DR. RUSSELL JIM, WHO FOUNDED AND SERVED AS PROGRAM MANAGER OF THE YAKAMA NATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. RIVERKEEPER ALSO IDENTIFIES AND PROTECTS KEY SALMON HABITAT IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN FROM INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER THREATS, INCLUDING FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE (SEE BELOW), NEW SHIPPING TERMINALS, AND CHEMICAL PLANTS. RIVERKEEPER ALSO WORKS TO PROTECT GROUND AND SURFACE WATER FROM NEW FACTORY FARMS IN EASTERN OREGON. FOR EXAMPLE, THOUSANDS OF RIVERKEEPER MEMBERS AND OUR COALITION PARTNERS CALLED ON OREGON GOVERNOR KATE BROWN, LAWMAKERS, AND STATE AGENCIES TO PROTECT THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND RURAL COMMUNITIES FROM FACTORY FARM POLLUTION. OREGONS LAWS CONTAIN LOOPHOLES THAT IGNORE AIR AND WATER POLLUTION FROM MEGA DAIRIES, MAKING THE STATE ATTRACTIVE FOR FACTORY FARM EXPANSION.IN ADDITION, RIVERKEEPER MADE STRONG PROGRESS IN 2019 TO ADDRESS THE HOT WATER CRISES ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER. HERE IS THE DIFFICULT SITUATION WE FACE: HOT WATER CAUSED BY DAMS AND EXACERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE IS KILLING COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVER SALMON. THE RIVERS ARE SIMPLY TOO HOT. PUGET SOUND ORCAS FEED ON SALMON AT THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA DURING CRITICAL MONTHS BEFORE CHILDBIRTH. THE LACK OF SALMON CAUSES STARVING ORCAS AND THE TRAGIC LOSS OF ORCA CALVES. THE FEDERAL AGENCIES IN CHARGE OF THE COLUMBIA ARE NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM. IN 2019, RIVERKEEPER ACHIEVED IMPORTANT VICTORIES TO PROTECT SALMON.FIRST, RIVERKEEPER AND ALLIES PREVAILED AT THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL OVER THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) TO FORCE THE AGENCY TO WRITE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, CALLED A TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD, TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS OF DAMS ON WATER TEMPERATURE AND SALMON SURVIVAL. EPA COMPLETED THE PLAN,WHICH IDENTIFIES THE LARGE DAMS ON THE COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVERS AS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF HEAT POLLUTION. SECOND, THE STATES OF WASHINGTON AND OREGON, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, REQUIRED FEDERAL DAM OPERATORS TO MEET THE SAFE TEMPERATURE LIMIT FOR SALMON, 68 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. RIVERKEEPER ALSO ADVOCATED FOR A FREEFLOWING LOWER SNAKE RIVER. SNAKE RIVER DAM REMOVAL IS THE BEST WAY TO RESTORE COOL WATER IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND PREVENT THE EXTINCTION OF CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SALMON POPULATIONS.

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