Snake River Dams = Waste of Water
New study shows Lower Snake River dams waste vast amounts of water through evaporation. New research shows that the Lower Snake River dams waste a tremendous amount of water through … Read more
Gov. Kotek and DEQ Cave to Pressure from Betsy Johnson and Building Trades, Approve Massive Refinery along the Columbia River
On January 7th, the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality issued a water quality certification for NEXT Energy to build a non-conventional diesel and aviation fuel refinery near Clatskanie. Certifications such as this are supposed to prevent violations of state water quality standards. Read more
Columbia Riverkeeper Welcomes New Members To Its Board Of Directors
Columbia Riverkeeper’s board of directors announced the appointment of four new members: Jessica L. Black, Elaine Harvey, Ana Molina, and Vawter “Buck” Parker. Read more
Don’t Fall for Greenwashing
In January, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will make a decision on a key permit for the NEXT proposal. Oregon Governor Kotek needs to hear from her constituents on why this issue is a step back for the region’s climate goals. Read more
Investing in our Future
The Hanford Nuclear Site poses one of the longest lived threats to the Columbia River and all of the people, plants, and animals who depend on it. Within Columbia Riverkeeper’s Hanford work, we often talk about preparing the next generation for the nuclear legacy they are inheriting. Read more
Salmon Reintroduction
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
2024 Clean Water Act Roundup
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
No New Nuclear
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
Turbulent Waters Ahead
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
Zenith Energy’s Legacy of Violations and Lies
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?
The answer is outrageous. Turns out, violations appear to be part of Zenith’s business model. Since arriving in Portland, Zenith has racked up roughly 20 violations from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)! Together, these violations tell the story of a fossil fuel company that has been out of compliance nearly the entire time it has been operating in Portland, a company that has misled regulators to obtain permits to expand operations, a company that cannot be trusted. Read more
NEXT: Water Quality Disaster
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
What’s the Deal with New Nuclear Power Webinar Evaluation
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