Columbia Riverkeeper

DESCRIPTION:THE COLUMBIA RIVER POLLUTION EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROJECT WILL REDUCE TOXIC POLLUTION IN THE MIDDLE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN BY EDUCATING AND INSPIRING STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PREVENT POLLUTION DISCHARGES. THE GRANTEE WILL DO THIS BY CONDUCTING YOUTH AND COMMUNITY POLLUTION EDUCATION AND OUTREACH THROUGH SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, AND ONLINE ENGAGEMENT AND BY EDUCATING AND INSPIRING STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON SOURCES OF TOXIC POLLUTION, REDUCTION STRATEGIES, AND ACTIONS TO PREVENT POLLUTION. THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON AND EXPANDS RIVERKEEPER'S SUCCESSFUL COLUMBIA GORGE POLLUTION PREVENTION OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM FUNDED BY EPA IN 2020 AND 2021. ACTIVITIES:ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED DURING THIS PROJECT PERIOD INCLUDE: - DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS CONNECTING THREATS FROM TOXIC POLLUTION IN THE MIDDLE COLUMBIA TO POLLUTION PREVENTION STRATEGIES - RECORD AND AIR POLLUTION-PREVENTION FOCUSED 'CONOCE TU COLUMBIA' ('KNOW YOUR COLUMBIA') RADIO SHOW/PODCASTS - UPDATE RIVERKEEPER'S VIRTUAL AND FIELD-BASED POLLUTION EDUCATION CURRICULUM - VIRTUAL AND FIELD-BASED EDUCATION AT THE NICHOLS NATURAL AREA, SHARING ENGAGING LESSONS ON TOXICS IN THE COLUMBIA AND POLLUTION PREVENTION - POLLUTION EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY RESTORATION EVENTS (VIRTUAL AND ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER AT THE NICHOLS NATURAL AREA) SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING DELIVERABLES: - YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT EDUCATION MATERIALS INCLUDING 24 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, FOUR BILINGUAL FACT SHEETS, 12 EMAILS REACHING OVER 20,000 PEOPLE. THE PROJECT WILL REACH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THROUGH BILINGUAL POLLUTION-PREVENTION MATERIALS TAILORED TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER (RIVERKEEPER) WILL SHARE THE MATERIALS VIA THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE (151,000+ VISITS PER YEAR), SOCIAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK: 25,214 FOLLOWERS; TWITTER: 5,300 FOLLOWERS; INSTAGRAM: 5,600 FOLLOWERS), AND EMAIL NETWORK (20,700+ CONTACTS). - COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS REACHING 700 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING SIX POLLUTION PREVENTION AND RESTORATION EVENTS (TWO ONLINE EDUCATION EVENTS AND FOUR IN-PERSON EVENTS ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER AT THE NICHOLS NATURAL AREA). - SIX RADIO SHOWS AND PODCASTS FOCUSED ON PRIORITY TOXICS, POLLUTION PREVENTION, AND WATER QUALITY ON 'CONOCE TU COLUMBIA' ('KNOW YOUR COLUMBIA'), RIVERKEEPER'S BILINGUAL RADIO SHOW AND PODCAST, WHICH AIRS BIMONTHLY ON RADIO TIERRA AND IS AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY AND SOUNDCLOUD. - EXPANDED VIRTUAL AND FILED-BASED CURRICULUM MODULES HIGHLIGHTING PRIORITY TOXICS AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AND REDUCTION STRATEGIES. - VIRTUAL AND FIELD-BASED EDUCATION EVENTS AT THE NICHOLS NATURAL AREA, WHERE 1200 STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TOXIC POLLUTION THREATENS THE MIDDLE COLUMBIA RIVER AND STRATEGIES TO REDUCE POLLUTION. EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE: COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THAT TOXIC POLLUTION THREATENS THE COLUMBIA RIVER, PEOPLE, AND OTHER LIFE THAT DEPENDS ON THE COLUMBIA AND THAT PEOPLE LEARN SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO PREVENT POLLUTION. ANOTHER OUTCOME WILL BE IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS AND IMPROVING YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TOXIC POLLUTION WITH THE GOAL OF LEADING TO CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR. THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY YOUTH.

THIS PROJECT WILL TEACH STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HOW POLLUTION PREVENTION PROTECTS WATER QUALITY IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER, ACTIONS INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES CAN TAKE TO PREVENT POLLUTION, AND HOW RIPARIAN ZONES PROTECT WATER QUALITY AND OFFER HABITAT. THE PROJECT IS ANTICIPATED TO PROVIDE POLLUTION PREVENTION EDUCATION TO MORE THAN 20,000 STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH EVENTS AND OUTREACH. FUNDS WILL SUPPORT FIVE STAFF AND THE COST OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. THIS PROJECT FULFILLS THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN RESTORATION PROGRAM GOAL OF PROMOTING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT OR KNOWLEDGE.

DESCRIPTION:THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR THIS PROJECT IS CERCLA 117(E) AS AMENDED BY 42 USC 9617(E). THE STATUTE AUTHORIZES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY OR THREATENED BY A RELEASE AT A SUPERFUND SITE TO OBTAIN INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN INTERPRETING SITE-RELATED DOCUMENTS AND IN DISSEMINATING THIS INFORMATION TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY. UNDER THIS PROJECT, THE GRANTEE WILL REVIEW THE BRADFORD ISLAND SUPERFUND CLEANUP SITE DOCUMENTS AND ASSIST THE COMMUNITY IN UNDERSTANDING SITE-RELATED ISSUES AND INFORMATION.ACTIVITIES:THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FUNDS FOR COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER TO HIRE A TECHNICAL ADVISOR WHO WILL PROVIDE SUMMARIES OF SITE DOCUMENTS INCLUDING THE IMPACT ON CLEANUP, DRAFT TECHNICAL PUBLIC COMMENTS, RESPOND TO QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK ON DOCUMENTS, AND PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS BOTH WITH RIVERKEEPER AND THE COMMUNITY.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE, SUMMARIES OF SITE DOCUMENTS, PUBLIC COMMENTS, RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK, AND PARTICIPATION IN MEETINGS. ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES INCLUDE, ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE BY OFFERING DIRECT ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC TO A NON-GOVERNMENTAL, TECHNICAL EXPERT ON CLEANUP AND A MORE ENGAGED PUBLIC. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE RESIDENTS AND USERS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AT BRADFORD ISLAND.