The Duwamish

Seattle, WA

Once considered sacred by Chief Seattle, it used to flow with healthy salmon for the Duwamish first people, who were later removed by incoming settlers.

After more than 100 years of industrialization, it now carries dangerously high levels of toxic waste.

Many of its chemicals

are considered harmful to humans.

There are more than 40 different contaminants that are identified as being above the safe limits for humans and the environment, including PCBs, dioxin, carcinogenic PAHs, and arsenic.

Studies show that the low income communities that live along the river have higher rates of heart disease, asthma, and other illnesses, than other areas in Seattle.

The cleanup

is complicated.

The fight for a Duwamish River cleanup spans over many decades. After years of advocacy, the EPA declared the lower 5 miles of the Duwamish River to be a federal Superfund site in 2001. Responsible parties include the City, County, Port and potentially up to 100 industries on the river, most notably, Boeing.

A long battle ensued to determine how the cleanup should be done and how much it should cost. Finally in December 2014, the EPA released their Record of Decision of a $342 million cleanup plan to take place over the next 23 years.

Now the big question remains:

How can communities and stakeholders ensure that this investment will result in a cleanup that will work and will last for generations to come.

The story is familiar

all over the world.

This is a photo of the Riachuelo River in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which is also suffering from high levels of pollution. Both the Duwamish and the Riachuelo River are facing a long, arduous, cleanup process.