The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Proposed Plan for cleanup of the Portland Harbor Superfund site on June 8, 2016. Unfortunately, EPA has failed to honor its trust responsibility to the Yakama Nation as EPA’s plan falls short and does not protect Yakama Nation’s Treaty reserved resources.
Join the Yakama Nation in asking EPA to clean up Portland Harbor so that the fish are clean, healthy and safe for our people to eat. Whether you simply add your name to the form letter, or write your own thoughts, your input counts!
The Yakama Nation has relied upon the Willamette and Columbia Rivers since time immemorial for to feed our families and practice a way of life that has been passed down to us through generations. These resources were so critical to our ancestors that the right to fish at all usual and accustomed fishing areas was specifically reserved in Yakama Nation’s Treaty of 1855.
Today, toxics such as PCBs, dioxins/furan, DDT, PAHs, and many others pollute Portland Harbor and flow into the Columbia River making habitat unhealthy for fish species as well as for the people that consume them. In the end, these toxics are impacting the tribal fishery resources, the health of the river, and the health of our communities. Until Portland Harbor is clean, our reserved right to catch and eat wholesome fish from this traditional area will be fraught with uncertainty and risk.
EPA’s Proposed Plan for Portland Harbor site can be found at EPA’s website.