Northport, Washington
Average airborne PM10 arsenic and lead concentrations in the upper Columbia River valley near the international border are potentially the highest known levels in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Likewise, the average airborne cadmium concentrations are potentially the highest known anywhere in three states
The Northport Project is an environmental and community health advocacy group dedicated to informing current and former residents of Northport, WA, about past studies conducted by Teck, under EPA oversight, due to an agreement made in 2006. We also inform residents about studies conducted by the EPA, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Health before the 2006 agreement. Additionally, we keep them updated on the current remedial investigation and feasibility studies now being carried out by the EPA, since the Upper Columbia River area was designated a Superfund site.
The Northport Project is committed to giving community members a voice. They have conducted health surveys of past and present residents and share the findings of reported health clusters with university researchers and epidemiologists to promote in-depth studies linking environmental hazards to community health issues. We work closely with Citizens for a Clean Columbia (CCC), who collaborate with the EPA and Ecology to review documents and reports, providing community input, including concerns and documented health problems shared by the Northport Project.
By documenting health issues and advocating for accountability, we aim to ensure Teck is held responsible for their gross negligence. For more than fifty years, Teck polluted the Columbia River by dumping 450 tons of heavy metal toxins (slag) every day, while pumping additional toxins into the air through smokestacks deliberately built 409 feet high to disperse the pollution away from Trail, British Columbia. Those emissions were carried downwind and became trapped in the Upper Columbia River Valley, contaminating Northport and beyond. Teck knew exactly what they were doing—knowingly sacrificing the river, the environment, and the health of entire communities along the Columbia for generations. Their actions are not only unforgivable but also criminal.
Teck Smelter dismissed the probability of the impact their decades of pollution could have, claiming it would only affect an “insignificant” number of people due to Northport, WA’s small population. This slideshow is a glimpse into the lives they deemed unworthy of concern—lives forever changed by Teck’s decision to prioritize profits over people.