Big Win for Farmers and Clean Water
Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) overturned Columbia County’s approval of a 400-car rail yard that would have served an unconventional diesel refinery along the lower Columbia. Read more
Breaking Down Forever Chemicals
Columbia Riverkeeper hosted “Breaking Down Forever Chemicals,” a webinar with Dr. Alissa Cordner and Megan Liu. They shared research on forever chemicals and helped us to understand the sources and impacts and what we can do about it. Read more
NEXT’s application materials were riddled with inconsistencies
On September 6, 2022, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) denied NEXT Renewables LLC’s (NEXT) application for a Clean Water Act section 401 water quality permit. NEXT sought the permit as part of a plan to build a so-called “renewable” diesel refinery near Clatskanie, OR. Read more
NEXT’s Application Materials were Riddled with Inconsistencies
On September 6, 2022, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) denied NEXT Renewables LLC’s (NEXT) application for a Clean Water Act section 401 water quality permit. Read more
Tank Leaks Show Additional Resources Needed at Hanford
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Washington Department of Ecology announced an agreement, which begins to address two of Hanford’s leaking tanks, B-109 and T-111. The agreement made headlines, but does it make real progress? Read more
Community Expresses Outrage as DEQ Approves Air Pollution Permit for Refinery at Port Westward
On August 30, 2022, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a disappointing decision to grant an air pollution permit for a proposed diesel refinery at Port Westward. Read more
Oregon Businesses Ask Oregon Leaders to Help Un-dam the Snake River
For Oregonians, salmon is more than a fish. More than a food, a product, or a brand, it is a critical part of our ecosystem and is deeply connected to our sense of place and our cultural identity, but salmon in the Columbia River basin are struggling. Read more
Clean Air, Water, and Local Food Threatened by New Refinery at Port Westward
Columbia County’s decision to approve a 400-car rail yard amid sensitive drainages, wetlands, and high-value farmland drew criticism from Oregon’s lead land use agency and opposition from local farmers and regional advocacy groups. Read more
Inside Scoop on Latest Fracked Gas Threat
Washington and Oregon have taken major steps to curb our region’s reliance on climate polluting fracked gas. Read more
Webinar: Microplastics & the Columbia River
Kirsten Kapp shares her groundbreaking research on microplastic pollution in the Columbia River. Read more
Columbia Riverkeeper Sues Army Corps over Dams’s Water Pollution
Columbia Riverkeeper is suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for illegally polluting the Columbia River with hot water, oil, and toxic chemicals. Read more
What is the Latest on the Hanford Nuclear Site Cleanup?
We discuss the upcoming comment period related to the relabeling and grouting of tank waste as part of Hanford’s Test Bed Initiative (TBI). Read more