Cleaning up the Duwamish River Superfund site will involve removing almost 800,000 cubic yards of sediment laced with heavy metals, PCBs, arsenic and other pollutants.

Marianne Clark is one of the trainees from the nearby Georgetown neighborhood. She lives in the same house her family has owned on the Duwamish River for 100 years.

“All generations have eaten out of that river and so Ive got such a big stake in it,” she says. “I dont want to pass the river on to my grandchildren the way it is now.”….

“A cleaner river means healthy fish and it means healthier communities,” said Steinbrueck, an architect and longtime environmental activist.

More than 300 people came out to learn about the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for the Duwamish River.

“I want to say no. I want to be able to go and fish in that river. I know many of our community members do too.” said [South Park resident Paulina Lopez], holding her infant on her chest in a sling. “I want a river that will be able to protect the health of our communities.”

Seattle Needs A River For All  (click link for full text)

EPA has released its draft plan for cleanup of the Duwamish River. State and federal laws require the cleanup to protect people’s health, or at least reduce pollution to levels found in unaffected areas of Puget Sound.

EPA says that it does not expect its own plan to meet the requirements of the law. It will not protect the health of people who eat the river’s resident fish.

The City of Seattle, King County, and Port of Seattle need to stand up for Seattle’s communities, but instead they are pressuring EPA to weaken the plan even further.

We call on our elected officials to support a cleanup that will provide A River For All – residents, fishermen, tribes, recreational users, workers, and businesses…..

That’s one thrust of a new report by health advocates commenting on the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for the heavily polluted Duwamish….

Some of the first Seattle residents to speak out on the plan were at the Concord International School gymnasium in South Park last Thursday. This is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Seattle, and that diversity was reflected at the meeting. Spanish, Vietnamese and Somali could be heard at tables set up around the room as south Seattle residents gathered to learn more and submit comments to the EPA.

“Local residents have borne the burden of the Duwamish River Superfund Site for many years; now they have the opportunity to benefit from jobs created by cleaning it up.”

Interested Duwamish Valley residents can contact Justin at DRCC/TAG for more information: jti@duwamishcleanup.org, or (206) 658-4375.

Fortunately, we have chance to speak up for a truly clean and safe river. But we only have until June 13th to provide our comments, input and concerns regarding the future of the Duwamish River.