Washington State has a brand-new Superfund site: the Upper Columbia River. It’s the latest development in the federal government's attempts to force a Canadian company to pay for pollution that flowed down stream into U.S. waters.

So what’s the next step for cleaning up the river? Well, it’s a long process, which Seattle-ites can see in their own backyard. Cleanup is also beginning on another Superfund site, the Duwamish Waterway, nearly a decade after the EPA released a plan. 

Guest:

Isabella Breda, Seattle Times Environment Reporter

Links:

Seattle Times: Upper Columbia River in northeast WA listed as a Superfund site

Seattle Times: Full cleanup begins at Lower Duwamish Superfund site

 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.