Columbia River Remediation and Restoration (Phase II)

Work completed under Phase II of this project has the potential to benefit every salmonid stock in the Columbia River by building on previous work where 68 contaminated priority sites were identified along the Columbia River. Contaminants from these sites are being released to the Columbia River system through deposition, runoff, groundwater mixing, direct discharge, or a combination of them all. Once in the aquatic environment, salmonids can experience sub-lethal or lethal effects from the contamination through direct contact or bioconcentration through the food web.

Under this project, the Yakama Nation ensured that cleanup decisions were particularly focused on the protection and restoration of aquatic resources for the direct benefit of ESA listed species and their habitat by providing technical expertise on the potential impacts to aquatic resources during the various phases of remediation activities such as investigations, risk assessments, remediation plan development, remediation design and restoration design.

Eight sites throughout the project area were identified for more focused work in the Lower Columbia River and Middle Columbia River. The PCSRF funds were used to assess five of the following sites (a total of 649 acres): Vancouver Port of NuStar, Swan-Cadet, Union Pacific Railroad at The Dalles, Pacific Wood Treating, Port of St. Helens Creosote and the Former Reynolds Aluminum. Specific site data was gathered to assess contaminant pathways from the hazardous waste site to the Columbia River. Yakama Nation reviewed habitat data for each site such as riparian condition, upland habitat conditions, wetlands and estuarine/nearshore habitat conditions to ensure it covers the full extent of the contamination. Site assessment activities also included: 1) Determining if available data will provide the necessary information to establish a remedial action that is protective of aquatic resources, 2) Identifying key issues or data gaps to be resolved, 3) Reviewing and commenting on all phases of a hazardous waste site response and natural resource damage actions (including site investigations, remedial investigations, feasibility studies, risk assessments, remedial designs, closeout reports, monitoring plans, restoration planning, natural resource injury assessment, natural resource damages, and other associated activities/documents, 4) Attending technical meetings/conference calls, coordination meetings, and site visits, and 5) Supporting strategic planning efforts to obtain a clean productive Columbia River.

The Yakama Nation also engaged in and provided technical expertise on two oil spills identified along the Columbia River as having potential impacts to aquatic resources and ESA listed salmonids.

The direct benefits of appropriate cleanup decisions include reduction of hazardous substances in the Columbia River, reduced risks to human health and the environment, and improvements to the habitat needed for sustaining a productive and diverse aquatic ecosystem. A major component of the long-term viability of a remedy is that it will withstand the expected impacts of climate change. The data gathered will provide recommendations related to climate change on restoration design that will facilitate sites being resilient to future sea level rise, flooding, surface flow and groundwater level changes and increased water temperatures. All of these benefits aid in protecting the Tribes’ treaty fishing rights.

The goal is simple: protect and restore the Columbia River and its tributaries. Tribal participation at these sites will add unique tribal perspectives and priorities to the human health and ecological risk assessment processes. Tribal involvement will ensure that cleanup decisions are particularly focused on the protection and restoration of aquatic resources by reducing toxics in water, sediment, and fish. The direct benefits of appropriate cleanup decisions include reduction of hazardous substances in the Columbia River, reduced risks to human health and the environment, and improvements to the habitat needed for sustaining a productive and diverse aquatic system. All of these benefits aid in protecting the Tribes’ treaty fishing rights.

The Phase II project has the potential to benefit every salmonid stock in the Columbia River by building on the foundational work to identify 68 priority sites in the Columbia River. This will be an important step forward in contaminant reduction and will help address toxics as a limiting factor for some ESA listed stocks, reach goals for toxic reduction as laid out in the revised Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit and the Northwest Power Conservation Council Fish and Wildlife Program, and address the widespread contamination as identified in the 2009 EPA “Columbia River Basin: State of the River Report for Toxics” that describes the known issues with mercury, DDT, PCBs, and PBDE while outlining the lack of toxics reduction action on the river.