The State of Environmental Justice in Washington

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Director’s Corner

"AlthoughyoungAmericansarenotresponsibleforthecurrentstateofthiscountry,itistimeforustotakeresponsibility for its future. Together,this generation can, and must,transform our nation into one that isboth secure and socially just. The firststep to realizing the change Americaneeds is thorough research and themobilization of dedicated youth. Withthat, I amproud topresentOAG's firstresearchpublication."–SamWithers

What is Our American Generation? Our American Generation is a youth run thinktank that facilitates research and offers policyproposals concerning social justice issues crucialto the future of our country. OAG wants toengageyou(th) in critical discourse andhopes tocreate a strong and diverse community of youngAmericans; a community that will not bereluctant to take on our nation's largestchallenges.We are always accepting applications for newresearchprojects.OAGwantstohelpyouachievethewholeprocess,fromyourinspirationtomakereform,toresearchingthetopic, todistributingapublication.VolunteeringtoresearchwithOAGisagreatwaytobuildaresume,developyourskills,and be part of a progressive community all atonce.In the meantime, you can keep up with OAGthrough our Facebook (Groups: Our AmericanGeneration), and Twitter (@SupwithOAG). Also,contributetothediscussiononOAG’sblog,wheremembersshare thoughts,news,andprojects thatthey speak to the biggest issues that face ourgeneration.>>>ouramericangeneration.org/blogThismagazine is only small part of the researchdone by OAG. If you are interested in readingmore, keep an eye on our website for a othersocialjusticetopics.

OurAmericanGenerationislessthanoneyearoldnow, and was first formally established as aregistered student organization at the UniversityofWashington in thespringquarterof2008.Weare registered as aNon‐ProfitCorporation in theState of Washington, and federally as a 501c(3)Tax‐ExemptNon‐Profitorganization.www.OurAmericanGeneration.org

“The State of Environmental Justice in Washington”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Intro … page 2 Concerned Citizens for the Yakima Reservation … page 3-5 Community Coalition for Environmental Justice … page 5-6 Heart of America NW … page 7 International District Housing Alliance … page 8 Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition … page 9 The SHAWL Society … page 10

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What is Environmental Justice?Environmental Justice (EJ) regards the distributionofenvironmentalproblemsinourcommunitieswithspecial attention paid to the role of race and class.For all the progress of industry, we have createdpollution in our air, water, and soil, and thispollutionisnotspreadfairly.InEJ the “environment” isdefinedas theplaceyoulive,work,playandpray.Everyonehasa right toahealthy environment. Those who have historicallybeen targets of racism are frequently victims ofenvironmental injustice, and for this reason, EJ isoften referred to as environmental racism. PoorcommunitiesinWAStateareconsistentlysubjecttomorepollutionthanwealthiercitizens.Themaponthe right illustrates how toxic sites are distributedunevenlyamongstSeattlecommunities.Seattle’shistory,likeAmerica’s,hasbeeninfluencedbyracism.AlthoughreportsofcooperationbetweensettlersandNativeAmericanscanbefoundearlyon,eventually natives were driven off their lands thathistoricallyprovidedthemwithsubsistence.Nativescontinue to bemarginalized today, andplay a partofmanyoftheissueswehighlightinthismagazine.Seattle also upheld zoning laws that requiredproperty to be sold and distributed on the basis ofraceuntilthe1970s,limitingnonwhitestoparticularparts of the city. Today, Natives, Blacks, and LatinAmericans have the greatest percentage of poorindividuals within their demographic (20,19, and18%respectively).InWashingtonStateasawhole,nonwhitesandlow‐income persons live in the most pollutedenvironments as well. Nonwhites are 33% of thepopulation, yet livewith 36%ofpolluting facilities.39%arelow‐income,andarelivingwith47%ofthetotal facilities. Conversely,medium‐to‐high‐incomewhitesmakeup49%ofthepopulationyetonlyhaveto live with 41% of the toxic facilities. Six ofWashington’s 8 biggest counties follow this same,unjusttrend.AsOAG explored the history of the EnvironmentalJusticeclosetohome,wefoundavibrantmovementofdedicatedorganizationsacrossWAStatefightingforenvironmentaljusticeintheircommunities.Thismagazine highlights a few of these organizations,introduces the communities and offersways to getinvolved. We hope you enjoy reading thispublication, and that you take action forenvironmentaljustice.

“Race, Income, and Toxics in Seattle and Washington State”

‐Sitesthatreleasetoxics

‐Sitesthatstore,treat,ordisposeoftoxics

‐FederalSuperfundCleanupSite*

‐SitesunderconsiderationforSuperfundCleanup*

‐Nonwhitepercentagegreaterthancityaverage

‐MedianhouseholdincomeBELOWcitymedian

‐MedianhouseholdincomeABOVEcitymedian

*Superfundisthefederalprogramtoaddressthecountry’smostpollutedsites

PollutionandRaceinWashingtonStatePercentage of population, by race, living in areas that do notmeetairqualitystandards.Pollutant White AfricanAmerican LatinAmericanParticulates 14.7% 16.5 34.0CarbonMonoxide33.6 46.0 57.1Ozone 52.5 62.2 71.2 SulfurDioxide 7.0 12.1 5.7Lead 6.0 9.2 18.5

DataprovidedbyWashingtonStateBoardofHealth,2001

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* Concerned Citizens of the Yakama Reservation *

NotYourChildhoodFieldTrip: In September2009,OAGwasinvitedbyJanWhitefoot,founderofthe Concerned Citizens of the Yakama Reservation(CCYR),toobservedairyfarmsintheYakimaValley.Yakima County contains more than 70 dairies and62,000milkcows,manyofwhicharelocatedinandaround low‐income communities, and reservationland.Janisalocalartistwhohastakenonextensiveefforts to get the StateDepartments ofHealth andEcology to regulate thedairyoperations. Shedroveour researchers on a tour of the dairy farms,technically “concentrated animal feedingoperations”, and talked to us about their effect ontheairandgroundwater,andconsequentlythelocalpopulation. Wells in the area are polluted withnitrates (andpossiblymorecontaminants), and theairispollutedaswell.Locals have been spending significant amounts oftheir own money to secure safe wells, as they areresidents’ primary source of drinkingwater. In onecase,acouple‐thousanddollarreverseosmosiswaterpurifier couldnot even cleanse awell on theTrustLands of the Yakama Tribe. Concentrations ofnitrates inwaterat 10mgper literareconsideredtobedangerous,and5‐10isconsideredtobeelevated.In the area surveyed by OAG, which contains thetowns Granger, Grandview, Outlook, Mabton, andSunnyside,21%ofwellswereabovethe10mg/lmark,andtheworstcontained55.2mg/l.Chloride,whichisalsoknowntobepresent inanimalwastes is foundin62%ofwellsinthisregion.

FeedingPens–Thecowsareseenherestandingintheirownurineandfeces.PhotosforthisentrytakenbyOAGresearchers.

SeveraldairiesoperateonYakamaReservationTrustLands. The Trust Lands are supposed to be usedsolely for thebettermentof theTribe and itwouldappear that the dairies are a direct detriment.Althoughthepropertieswerepurchasedlegally,itispovertythatleadsthetribestoselltherealestatetoprivateinterestsoutsidethecommunity.TheWorstDairyFarms:Notably, the farmswevisited are, according to Jan, theworst polluters inthevalley.Certainpracticesareconsistentamongstall of the farms. The problems all concern theimproper (more often nonexistent) treatment andstorageofthefecesandurineofthe1000+cowsoneach dairy farm. The sewage is sometimes calledcompost, however at the point during which thesewage is applied to the land, it is raw andnitrogenous beyond the point that the soil canabsorb. Nitrates thus make it into the local watersupply. The wells that have been tested in theYakima Valley are far beyond safe levels.

A giant mound of cow feces. These mounds are dry duringsummer,releasingfecalcoliformparticlesintotheair,andliquidin the winter, moving contaminants through the soil and intogroundwater.Thesewageisstoredinseveraldifferentways:1.Held in "lagoons,”man‐madepools that lack anyliningbetweenuntreatedsewageandthesoil.2. Piled in enormous mounds (pictured above). Inthesummermonths,whenthesewageisdry,andairpollutants reach dangerous levels. This helps toexplainwhyYakimaCountyhas thehighest rateofasthmaof any county inWashingtonState. In coldmonths,thesewageisliquidandrunseasilyintothegroundwater.Allyearlong,thestenchannoyslocalsandattractshordesoffliestotheirhomes.

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3. Sprayed through sprinklers onto crops used foranimal feed. Some farms have had to purchaseadditionalacreagesimplytosoakupthesewage.4. On the reservation, locals have claimed to seedairy farmers dumping waste directly into theircreeks without a permit. When complaints arelodged with the dairy operators, blame is oftenshiftedtoimmigrantworkers.

Tankerloadedwithmanurespraysitinrowsontothefields.Themanurecontainsfarmorenitrogenthanthesoilcanabsorb.Finding Justice: All of these methods we justvisitedpollute the air andwater. It is important tonotethatthosemostadverselyaffectedaremembersof already marginalized communities, largelybecause they lack political and economic clout tochallenge the dairy industry. In Granger, a towndownstreamfromseveralenormousfarms,thelocalriver runs yellow. The water table beneath thedairiesisonly6ft.deep,anditisnaivetoexpecttheland to hold thousands of pounds of raw sewagedeposits. Granger is a mobile‐home community,whose residents are predominately nonwhite, anddependonwellsfordrinkingwater.Thelocalpublicschool’s water was tested in a previousenvironmental justice study and proved to containalmostdoublethesafelevelofnitratesforadults.Asis typical of environmental justice issues, theproblemcontinues topersist yearsafter it isdrawntotheattentionofgovernmentanddairyoperators.Forthedairiestorectifytheseproblemstheywouldneed to either significantly increase acreage peranimalordevisebetterwastedisposalmethods.Thiswill imposecostsupon these farms,but thequalityof life provided to the people of theYakimaValleywillbeimproved.

AConversationwithDarigold:Allofthefarmsthat OAG visited are member‐owners of theNorthwest Dairy Association co‐operative and selltheirproductsunderthe“Darigold”brand.Darigoldsupplies almost all of the dairy products at theUniversityofWashington(attendedbymanyoftheresearchers).OAGstartedadiscussionbetweenUWHousing and Food Services’MichaelMeyering andJR Fulton, several Darigold executives andemployees, and our own Environmental Justiceteam. Those from the dairy‐side included StevenRowe, Executive Director of the Northwest DairyAssociation, and Jay Gordon, President of theWashingtonStateDairyFederation,thestate’slobbygroup for dairies. During the meeting Darigoldinsisted that their farms were not necessarilyresponsible for thepollution, although theyofferedno alternative culprits other than private septictanks.Theexecutivesdidilluminatethedifficultyofassigningblame.Darigoldoperatesasaco‐operativeand not a corporation, which means each farmowner has autonomy over how to run her or hisfarm. Darigold guaranteed that nutrient‐managementplansareconductedbynearly99%offarms and reviewed by the Dep't of Agriculture(which theoretically ensures that dairy waste isdisposedofinamannerthatwillnotleadtogroundwater contamination). Ultimately, DarigoldcommittedtoHFStooustanymember‐ownersthatareproventobebreakingthelaw.SoWho’s Responsible?Despite the confidencethe dairy representatives showed, the water is stillpolluted.Low‐incomeandnonwhitecommunitiesinYakima County are still drinking bad water, andbreathing bad air, and need a remedy. Darigoldshoulddemandbetterpractices from its farmers. Italso should allow the Departments of Ecologyand/orHealth to review theNutrientManagementPlans.Unfortunately the state government is fumbling itsopportunity to regulate by trying to transferauthority for Concentrated Animal FeedingOperationstotheDepartmentofAgriculture.Allofthe authorities that should be in charge areseeminglyawareoftheissue.However,theEPA,theWA State Department of Ecology, WA StateDepartment of Health, and the WA StateDepartment of Agriculture have been perpetuallydisagreeing over who is going to make the toughdecisions.

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Inthispictureyoucanseetheextentofthemanure,bothontheground,anddriedontheundersideanduttersofthecows.

Get Involved: Yakima recentlywas identifiedbythe EPA as one of ten Environmental JusticeShowcase Communities, which granted the EPAregion10office$100,000inordertotrytorighttheinjustice. Discussions are currently taking placebetween different stakeholders to determine howthemoney shouldbe spent. Sadly, thepresidentofthe WA State Dairy Federation contends that the$100,000willnotevenbeenoughtodetermineonceandforallwhoiscausingthepollution.Keeptrackof the Yakima Grant process to ensure that themoney isactuallybeingusedto improvethehealthofthoseinthemostmarginalizedcommunities.Thepoint person in the EPA for the grant is SandraHalstead, and her email address ishalstead.sandra@epa.gov.Youcanletherknowthatensuringasafewatersupplyshouldbeapriority intheproject,andaskquestionsabouttheirprogress.JanWhitefootprovidesconsistentupdatesabouttheEJ issues in Yakima and the work of CCYR byrequestat jafoot72@embarqmail.com.Theonlywayto overcome this injustice is to stay informed andadvocateforthesecommunitiesthroughallpossiblechannels.

* Community Coalition for EJ *Vulnerable SeattleCommunities:Formed in 2005, theCCEJ serves the SouthSeattle communities ofSouth Park, RainierValley, Beacon Hill,Central District,Georgetown, WhiteCenter, and Columbia City. These neighborhoodsareonaverage67%peopleofcolor,with21%ofthepopulation living below the poverty line. Thesecommunities are plagued by toxics above andbeyond the rest of Washington’s population. TheSouthParkcommunity,forexample,oneresidentialneighborhoodhas40+toxicfacilitieswithina5‐mileradius. South Park’s residents experience highermortality rates, lower life expectancy, and higherhospitalization rates for respiratory diseases thantherestofSeattleites.The Seattle area is host to many environmentaljustice organizations and CCEJ has created aworkingnetwork between these groups in order tosharetacticsandgoals.Althougheachcommunityisculturallyunique, there are four commonobstaclestoachievingenvironmentaljustice.1. Greater exposure to toxics due to adisproportionate number of toxic facilities in theirneighborhoods.2. Health problems are exacerbated becausenonwhite and low‐income communities havelimitedaccesstomedicalcareandqualitynutrition.3. In communities where English is a secondlanguage, warnings by local government aboutpollution exposure (for example, “don’t fish here,toxic pollution”) have not beenwidely understood.With direction from EJ in Seattle, many of thesesignsandplacardsarebeingtranslated.Again, environmental justice problems areconsistentlyprotractedbecausepeopleofcolorandpoor communities have very limited political andeconomicclout, andvery little economic flexibility,

“Wearebestknownforoureffectivealliancebuilding,grassroots

outreachandbasebuildingeffortsincommunitiesofcolor.”

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which suppresses their ability to advocate fromthemselves. A 2005 survey by the WA StateDepartmentofHealthrevealedthattherearemanyhealth disparities in Washington, a fairly reliableindicator of environmental injustice. Nonwhiteshave higher rates of at least six diseases includingHIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis,cancer,diabetes,andasthma. A Bold Mission: CCEJ’s mission is to achieveenvironmental and economic justice in low‐incomecommunitiesandcommunitiesofcolor.TheCCEJisdedicated to the environmental justice movement,and the fundamental belief “that everyone,regardlessofraceorincome,hastherighttoacleanand healthy community” is intrinsic to all of theirwork. This bold objective is translated intosubstantive projects that improve air quality inSouth Seattle, mobilize support for low‐incomehousing,andengageyouthofcolorinEJcampaigns.Through community organizing, education, andpoliticaladvocacy,CCEJhaseliminatedtwosourcesof air pollution in South Seattle, passed the WAStateEJAct,formedthefirstregionalEJallianceandis continually pressing for health and regulatoryagencyactiononenvironmentaljusticeissues.CCEJalso holds numerous public education events,includinganannualconference.

CurrentCampaigns:NoCoal onNative Lands –Becausecoalplantsareundesirableneighbors, theyareoftenplacedwhereresidentsdonothaveenoughpower to effectively fight back. Low‐income andnonwhitecommunities, aswell asNative lands, arethemost frequentlyusedsites.Livingnearbyacoalplant leaves you extremely vulnerable to inhalingcoal ash, which can lead to asthma and acutebreathing problems. Just north of our Seattle, theSagkeeng reservation have become seriouslypolluted. A video/slide showwas put together thatdepictssomeimagesoftheSagkeengpeopleandthestateoftheirlandandproperty.Checkitoutonyou

tube by searching “environmental justice inSagkeeng”.

Toxic Beauty – This campaign was collaborationbetween CCEJ and the Environmental Coalition ofSouth Seattle (ECOSS). It highlights nail salons inlow‐incomecommunitiesandcommunitiesofcolorthat use non‐toxic products. For one, the patronsand employees of these nail salons are safer withnon‐toxicproducts.Additionally,localairandwaterwillnotbepollutedwhentheproductsareapplied,washedoff,ordiscarded.Toxicproductsarecheaperand more prevalent in poor communities, and abroad awareness about the dangers of theseproductsislacking.CCEJishelpingyoungpeopleofcolor in poor communities carry out their lives inthe safest way possible, by raising their knowledgeabouttheriskofexposurethattheyface.

The Power of People & What We Can Do:The power behind environmental injustice isdifferentforeverycampaignthattheCCEJtakeson.Theirworkhighlightstheimportanceofcommunitymembers understanding the issue, speaking up fortheirrights,andimplementingenvironmentallyjustpractices at the ground level (such as the toxicbeautycampaign).Coalitionsofinterestgroupsandindividuals aggregate bargaining power, and this iswhatmakestheCCEJaforcetobereckonedwith.Lendahandbydonating,volunteeringyourtime,orinterning.By reading their newsletters, and supporting theirindividual campaigns, you are adding to yourunderstandingof localenvironmental justiceissues,and furthering the mission of the CCEJ. Emailjustice@ccej.org, or call 206‐720‐0285 and ask howyoucanhelprightnow.Thegroup’swebsitecanbefoundathttp://www.ccej.org/.

The CCEJ teaches over 2,000 people each year about EJ

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* Heart of America Northwest *

TheMostContaminatedSite:HeartofAmericaNorthwest is devoted to lobbying for a quick cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. It is a“superfund” site, or one of the nation’s most direpollutedareas.It'sthemostcontaminatedsiteinthewesternHemisphere.Nuclearwaste is still storedatHanford from over 60 years of nuclear fuelproduction. The Hanford Reservation contains thetraditional hunting grounds of the Yakima, NezPierce, Umatilla and Wanpun tribes. Tribalrepresentativesareactively involved in lobbying forcleanup because their tribes practice subsistencefishingandhuntingwithintheHanfordReservation,and their entire environment is becomingradioactively contaminated. In the 1950’s, a largeamountofwastewasdumpeddirectlyintotheriver.Becausethehalf‐lifeofthiswasterangesuptotensof thousandsofyears, thishalf‐century‐oldmistakeis still creating problems for the natives.Additionally, these chemicals accumulate as theymovethroughthefoodchain,fromplants,tofish,towildlife, and are now present in almost all of thenatives’ traditional food sources. There are alsothree towns nearby Hanford that are affected,Richmond,PascoandKennewick.Thesetownswerecreated solely from the demand for work at theHanford site. It hasnowbeen found thatHanfordworkers have 11 times the mesothelioma, 30 timestheasbestosis,and3timestheleukemiaratesofthegeneralpopulation.

AviewofHanfordfromtheColumbiaRiver

The Work of Heart of America Northwest:HeartofAmerica(HoA)wasstartedin1987,afterasuccessfulWashingtonstateballot referendumthatblockedHanford frombeingthenation’s firsthigh‐level nuclear waste dump. Today, HoA is trying tomaintainthescheduleofcleaningupfaultynuclearwaste tanks, which have already leaked over amillion gallons of radioactive waste. It is alsolobbying to establish a uranium groundwatertreatmentsystem,althoughthatprojecthassufferedfrom political slowdowns and delays, which havebeentoocommonintheHanfordissueingeneral.Alarge portion of the national economic stimulusmoney for Washington State has gone to theHanford,buttheDepartmentofEnergycontinuestopostponethecleanup.HeartofAmericaisworkingonacampaigntolimitworkers’ and natives’ exposure by demandingimprovedstorageconditions.HoAhasgainedaseatatthebargainingtablebycraftingitsownlegislationand suing the Department of Energy. Althoughbureaucrats make the timelines for cleanup, thepowertospeeduptheprocessisinthetaxpayerwhoisfootingthebill.

RadioactivewastebeingdumpedintounlinedtrenchesWhatWeCanDo:Heart of America encouragesus to be activists from home, sending emails andmaking phone calls to the tri‐party stakeholders(Environmental Protect Agency, Department ofEnergy, and theWA StateDepartment of Ecology)and legislators. For students, volunteer andinternshipopportunitiesareavailablewithHeartofAmerica.Theyhavealsocreatedanactivistnetworkof citizens who go to hearings, monitorgroundwater,andlobbyonbehalfoffastercleanup.More information on HoA can be found athttp://www.hoanw.org/index.cf

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*International District Housing Alliance*

Smog Capital of Seattle: The InternationalDistrict (ID) isoneofSeattle’soldest communities,made up of Little Saigon, Chinatown, and JapanTown.Theneighborhoodisahubformanyregionalandlocaltransportationlanes.TheIDissurroundedbyI‐5,I‐90,Route99,Amtrakstation,lightrail,thebus terminal, and serves as a corridor for big‐rigstravelling to and from South Seattle’s industrialsites. The combined effect of somuch exhaust is aseverely reduced quality of air in the ID. Residentshave50%higherasthmaratesthanthecityaverage,and 102% higher rates of contracting air‐bornediseases. Transportation is the most prevalentsourceofairpollution.Mobilesourcesmakeup85‐95% of air pollution according to the Puget SoundClean Air Agency. Studies show that regularexposure to freeway pollutionwithin a radius of at250 feet results in a host of respiratory problemssuchasreducedlungfunctionandhigherincidenceofallergies,andasthma.Consideringthehighlevelsofpollutionandresultingadversehealtheffects,itisimportant to also turn a critical eye on thecomposition of ID communities. The population is81.5% nonwhite, compared to the city average of29.9%. Themedian household income in the ID is$13,052 per year, with half the population livingbelow the poverty line, while Seattle’s averageincomeis$45,736.ItisalsotroublingtonotethatIDresidents are largely not responsible for the airpollution, as the majority of the residents cannotafford a vehicle of their own, according to CaseyChinaoftheInternationalDistrictHousingAlliance(IDHA).Helping Residents Navigate the Injustice:TheIDHA’sbeganin1997asanoutdoorexperientialprogramthatbroughtlow‐incomecitykidsintothewilderness and provide them with environmentaleducation.This evolved intoapartnershipbetweenthe youth and elders to define and address theneighborhood’s social and environmental issues.The primary task ever since has been to buildawarenessaboutlocalairpollution.Incollaborationwith University of Washington researchers, theIDHAdocumentedthe fulleffectsof transportationintheIDthroughasurveyentitledBreathingRoom.The report estimates that I‐5, I‐90, and Route 99carry a combined average of 421,000 vehicles each

day. 10,000 vehicles pass directly through the IDeach day. Sporting events draw even greater trafficto the neighborhood; surveyors counted 2,500 carsat three intersections ina three‐hourperiodduringa Mariner’s game. The researchers also countedvolumes of buses and trucks moving through theneighborhood. From this data they created awalkingmapforIDHAresidentsthatdictateswhichstreetstoavoid.One of the most blatant problems discovered wasidlingbig‐rigs,whichaccountsforanaverage27%offuel use. The group responded by initiating acampaignwithlocalbusinessestoplace“No‐Idling”signs in storefronts throughout the neighborhood.IDHA also works with the local “Inter Im”community development agency to create greenspaceandplanttreesthroughouttheIDinordertoimproveairquality.

“WILD”YouthworkingintheInternationalDistrictWhatWeCanDo:VolunteeringfortheIDHAisthemosteffectivewayofaddressingenvironmentaljustice issues in the International District. SeattleyouthcangetinvolvedwiththeWildernessIntercityLeadershipDevelopmentprogram(WILD).Thereisalso a need for more research projects such as“BreathingRoom” thatprovidepracticalknowledgetolocalresidents.You can reach the International District HousingAlliance at (206) 623‐5132, or find out moreinformationathttp://www.apialliance.org/.

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*Duwamish Tribe and Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition*

ARiverTeemingwithHistoryandToxics:Environmental injusticehasafflicted theDuwamishRiversincetheturnofthecenturywhenSeattlewasundergoing its 2nd settlement, primarily byScandinavian immigrants. The Duwamish River isthehistorichomeoftheDuwamishpeople,ormoreproperly, the Dkhw’Duw’Absh. Although anecdotalaccounts show that natives and settlers originallycooperated, Duwamish Tribe longhouses wereeventuallyburnttotheground.ChiefSi’ahl(Seattle)and Duwamish sub‐chiefs signed the Point Elliotttreaty, to become a legally recognized tribe of theUnited States. They were promised a reservation,hunting and fishing rights, as well as monetarycompensation for 54,000 acres of their land.Todaythis land includes the cities of Seattle, Renton,Tukwila, Bellevue, andMercer Island.Aswas sadlycharacteristic of the times, the treaty was neverrespected. Not a single cent was paid to the tribe,causingnativerebellionsfrom1855‐1858.To this day the tribe still lacks formal recognition,and this means that they are disenfranchised evenbeyond the average Native American tribe. Thegreatest environmental injustice facing the tribe isthatfishing,farming,andsubsistencerightsarenotrecognized, and that no health care assistance isprovided.Because subsistence rights are not recognized, thegovernmenthasgivenlittleconcerntothefactthatthetribe’smainsourceoffood,theDuwamishRiver,hasbecometerriblypolluted.OAG visited the Duwamish Tribe at their one andonlylonghouse,wheretribalmemberssharedstoriesofthedifficultiestheyface.Dioxin,HydrocarbonsandArsenic,OhMy!IfyoutakeatripdowntheDuwamishRiver,donotexpectascenictour.Theriver is linedwithcementproducers,heavymanufacturing,andanoldBoeingplant that built warplanes during WWII. “PCBs”(polychlorinated biphenyls), hydrocarbons, arsenic,and dioxin are the chemicals in the air and riversediment that pose the greatest danger to humanhealth.Most of all they are associatedwith greaterrisksofdevelopingcancer.Thelower5‐milestretchwasdeclaredaSuperfundsitein2001.In1998,KingCountymadethedisturbingdiscoverythatfishandcrabcaughtintheDuwamishhaveuptoseventimes

the “safe” amount of cancer causing chemicals.Mercury in the river bottom sediment ismeasuredat4xthesafelevels,andnearlyallofthesalmoninthe Duwamish have been discovered to harborPCBs.Thecountyissueswarningsaboutconsumingsalmon from the river, and even harsher warningaboutshellfishandcritterswholiveintheriveryearround,butduetoculturalandeconomicreasonstheDuwamishtribeandotherlocalpeoplescontinuetocount on the river for their subsistence.Furthermore, it has recently been found that soiljustbeyondtheriveriscontaminatedaswell,intheneighboringcommunitiesofGeorgetownandSouthPark.While consuming river‐life poses the greatestriskofharm,onecanalsobeexposed to chemicalssimplybyplayingonthebeach.Tofoulariverthatprovides Seattleites with subsistence is an obviousand grave environmental injustice. To lose anaesthetic andnatural assetofour city is somethingto be lamented as well. The Duwamish RiverCleanupCoalitionhasrespondedbyfightingforthepredominately nonwhite communities that lie bytheriver.

The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition(DRCC): The DRCC holds public boat and kayaktourstogivecitizensanupcloseandpersonalviewof the state of the Duwamish River. OAG had aunique vantage of the history of Seattle on one ofthese tours, witnessing the dirty side of the city’sindustry. The history of the Duwamish River isinseparablefromSeattle’shistory.Thedevelopmentalongtheriverreflectsourowndevelopment.Thosein the city flourish, while those who live bysubsistencearepoisoned.Learnthestoryoftheriverand its present day travails at:http://www.duwamishcleanup.org/. You can alsoexplore theactivityof theTribe, and their fight forfederalrecognitionat:http://www.duwamishtribe.org

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* The SHAWL Society *Sovereignty, Health, Air, Water, and Land Uranium Mining in Spokane: The Cold Warappearstobedoneandtuckedawayinthepast,butupon closer inspection, repercussions continue toreverberate. In Spokane, the vestiges of war stilllinger. The Spokane Indian Reservation, located 45milesoutsideofSpokaneandhometo2,464people,was the site of uraniummining to develop nuclearcapabilities.Tribalmembersweretheprimaryworkforce, conducting the milling and miningoperations.Beginningintheearly1950’s,theUnitedStatesrushedtodevelopmoredevastatingweaponryincompetitionwiththeSovietUnion.Caughtupinthe frenzy of war, little interest was paid to long‐termeffectsofweaponrydevelopmentonsocietyortheenvironment.

DebAbrahamson,founderofSHAWL,atMidniteMineToday,theimpactsofnegligencearevisible.MidniteMine and Sherwood Mine were the two largesturanium extraction sites and still require clean up.The Spokane Indian Tribe has suffered from directexposuretoby‐productmaterialsandhavingcriticalresources be contaminated. For a community andculture that is self‐sufficient, such degradation ofthe land presents a crisis. Food andwater suppliesare too dangerous to consume. The waste reachesthe environment because surface water atTshimkian Creek is exposed and then spread intothe SpokaneRiver,Additionally, a 26‐milehighwaythat runs through the heart of the Spokanereservation served as the route for transportingradioactivesludge foralmost30years.Today, thereare over 40 hot spots for radiation exposure along

thisroad,perpetuallyexposingnumeroustownshipsandtheschoolsystemtoradiation.MidniteMinewasdeclaredaSuperfundSitein2000and currently a lawsuit is underway between theEPAandNewmontMiningCompanyconcerningtheliability of damages. The Spokane Indian Tribe haslimited access to resources in addressingcontamination, although they have successfullyorganized through SHAWL. Still, the tribe haslargelybeenleftoutofthedecision‐makingprocess.SHAWL:TheSHAWLSocietywasestablishedasaspace for natives to address government agenciesand gain influence in the decision‐making process.Thegrassrootsorganizationseekstoprovidetoolstoempowerthepublictobecomeengagedandreceivedue compensation for their losses in health andenvironmentalquality.Education is fundamental toSHAWL’s mission in expanding public awarenessabout the health problems cause by uraniummining. Current campaigns include providingeducational materials about the health impacts ofuraniumexposure,havingadequatesafetymeasuresinstalled to protect the public and prevent furthercontamination, conducting health studies to betterunderstand the relationship between uraniumexposure and health, and to hold the NewmontMiningCompanyaccountable.WhatWeCanDo: You can get involveddirectlyin any of these campaigns by directly contactingSHAWL Director, Deb Abrahamson atshawlsociety@yahoo.com. SHAWL’s website isalwaysupdatedwithnews,andcallsforaction.Youcanaccessthesiteathttp://shawlsociety.blogspot.com.Information about Uranium mining projects andlegislation across America can be found athttp://www.wise‐uranium.org/upusa.html. Learningfrom the pastwill allow us to prevent problems inthefuture.Additionally, make sure your representatives knowabout the health problems on the SpokaneReservation,andthatyouexpectthisenvironmentalinjustice to be corrected. The easiest direct actionthatyoucantakeistosimplysharewithyourfamily,friends, peers, or the person you sit next to on thebus, what you have learned. Raising awareness ofthe issue is the critical first step and it starts withyou.

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Passthismagazineontoafriend or a neighbor andspreadtheword.

The Researchers ScottDavisAge:20School:UniversityofWashingtonSubjects:PoliticalEconomy,EnvironmentalScienceMichelleHarveyAge:21School:UniversityofWashingtonSubjects:Anthropology,UrbanPlanningEmiliaPtakAge:21School:UniversityofWashingtonSubjects:EnvironmentalPolitics,JournalismDorothea(Thea)ReinertAge:21School:UniversityofWashingtonSubjects:Biology,NorwegianAllisonPollackAge:21School:SeattleUniversitySubjects:English

Our American Generation - The State of Environmental Justice in Washington - Winter 2010

www.ouramericangeneration.org

The Editors JaneKimAge:20School:UniversityofWashingtonSubjects:Economics,Arabic,InternationalStudiesTaishiKohjimaAge:25BAinEnglishfromUniversityofWashingtonCurrentlyteachingEnglishinToyota,JapanSamuelWithersAge:21School:UniversityofWashingtonSubjects:Law,Societies,andJustice,andSociology

The Artists AidanFitzgeraldCoverArt

JonnySikovCastellanoBannerDesign