People rely on clean water and toxic-free fish. That’s why Columbia Riverkeeper uses the law and grassroots organizing to advocate for cleanup at polluted sites like Bradford Island and surrounding waters, located just 35-miles from the Portland-Vancouver metro area near Bonneville Dam.
The Problem
For decades the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates Bonneville Dam, dumped toxic waste on Bradford Island and in the Columbia River, releasing poisonous chemicals into the water and sediment. As one of the most popular fishing areas in the Middle Columbia River, Bradford Island supports rich, diverse fishing traditions.
Resident fish—like bass and sturgeon—that live year-round near Bonneville Dam have the highest levels of cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the country.
This is an environmental justice problem and an ongoing public health crisis as those most at risk are Tribal fishers and other people fishing for subsistence. The Oregon Health Authority and Washington Department of Health have issued fish advisories warning people not to eat resident fish caught near Bradford Island.
The Yakama Nation has spent two decades demanding the federal government protect the Columbia River and clean up the pollution near Bonneville Dam. Columbia Riverkeeper worked in solidarity with Yakama Nation to advocate for Superfund Listing, bringing together nonprofits and thousands of people to support cleanup. In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated Bradford Island and surrounding waters as a Superfund Site—a national priority for cleanup.
In spring of 2024, agencies signed a “Federal Facility Agreement” to jumpstart the project—and yet, while some cleanup actions occurred in the early 2000s, no cleanup has moved forward since the Superfund listing.
How We Engage
Columbia Riverkeeper works in solidarity with the Yakama Nation and other Tribes to fight for a swift, effective cleanup that results in clean water and toxic-free fish. We do this by:
- Educating river communities about the Superfund cleanup site and which fish from the area are unsafe to eat
- Watchdogging the cleanup process by serving on the Superfund site’s Restoration Advisory Board, where we ask the tough questions to advocate for public involvement and cleanup that protects all people who rely on the Columbia
- Putting pressure on government agencies to get to work on cleanup, including creative communications strategies, media outreach, and providing technical comments on proposed cleanup actions
- Offering opportunities for the public to share their views on cleanup with decision makers
Join us to support the call for a swift and thorough cleanup of Bradford Island and the Columbia River. Take action today.
Request for Proposal
Columbia Riverkeeper is currently working to procure an independent technical advisor on Bradford Island cleanup via a Request for Proposals. For more information about Columbia Riverkeeper’s search for a technical advisor, please contact info@columbiariverkeeper.org.
Resources
Fish Advisories for Bonneville Dam area: In English, Spanish, other languages
Webinar: Environmental Justice and Public Health–the Columbia River’s newest Superfund Site