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EPA Invests in Improving Columbia River Basin Environment

22Nov

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EPA Invests in Improving Columbia River Basin Environment

Nearly $32 million in federal funds is being invested across seven Oregon projects and programs, with a goal of reducing toxics in fish and water and addressing climate change issues to help restore the health of the Columbia River Basin. The money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $79 million total funding infusion into the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program. The program is proving essential to the Pacific Northwest’s Tribes, communities and economy, all of which rely on the watershed, according to Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, who announced the new funds Nov. 16. “Our rivers and waterways are the lifeblood of our communities. If they are dirty and polluted, our homes, schools and businesses are dirty and polluted,” Merkley stated. “The federal inve...

Feds Fund Salmon Restoration in Upper Columbia River Basins

A historic agreement struck between the Biden-Harris administration and three Native American tribes calls for investment of over $200 million in federal dollars over 20 years to restore salmon populations in the Upper Columbia River Basin. The agreement, announced by the Interior Department on Sept. 21, includes that $200 million over 20 years from the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal power marketing administration under the Energy Department, to advance the tribally led plan. In support of that effort, the Interior Department announced that agency would provide $8 million over two years through the Bureau of Reclamation. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland noted that since time immemorial tribes along the Columbia River system have relied on Pacific salmon, steel...

EPA Investing $79M in Columbia River Basin Restoration

Environmental Protection Agency officials, citing toxic contaminants in the Columbia River Basin as a serious risk to the region’s economic health, said that the EPA plans to invest $79 million over five years for protection and restoration of the river. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said up to $6.9 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Clean Water Act grants would be awarded during 2022 alone to reduce toxics in fish and water and address climate impacts in communities throughout the area. “The Columbia River Basin is a vital economic engine and an irreplaceable environmental asset, providing a broad range of benefits from agriculture to recreation to electricity, but toxic contaminants in the basin pose a serious risk,” Regan said in an Aug. 10 announcement. EPA ...