Confederated Tribes and Bands of the YAKAMA NATION
Media Release
For Release: March 4, 2008

Contacts:
Ralph Sampson, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman
Ruth Jim, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Land Committee Chairwoman
Lavina Washines, Yakama Nation, Tribal Council Cultural Resource Committee Chairwoman
Portia Shields, Yakama Nation, Tribal Council Media Committee
Mavis Kindness, Yakama Nation, Tribal Council Media Committee

Statement

The Yakama Nation is administrator for an inter-tribal, EPA funded project known as Sacred Breath of the Columbia River Gorge (Sacred Breath Project). Under partnership with the University of Washington Earth Initiative, the Sacred Breath Project contracted with U.W. atmospheric scientist, Dr. Dan Jaffe to identify what impact, if any, the Portland General Electric Coal-Fired Plant in Boardman, Oregon had on air pollution in the Columbia River Gorge.

The resulting Analysis of Air Quality Data in the Columbia River Gorge during Temporary Shutdowns at the PGE Boardman Plant, A Report to the Yakama Nation by Dr. Dan Jaffe, February 27, 2008, is attached.

This analysis concludes definitively that Portland General Electric’s Coal-Fired Power Plant near Boardman, Oregon is responsible for 55% for wintertime pollution on worst pollution days (See Executive Summary, Jaffe, 2008).

University of Washington Scientist, Dr. Dan Jaffe, evaluated the 5-year study done by the states of Oregon (Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality) and Washington (Southwest Clean Air Agency, based in Vancouver, WA) and finds significant discrepancy in their scientific conclusions.

“…while the Sacred Breath analysis was based on data collected at the Wishram monitoring site, the state study based their conclusions on a computer simulation, and this simulation shows a significant discrepancy with the actual data.” (Jaffe report for Sacred Breath, Feb. 27, 2008, page 1.)

Why Sacred Breath Project did this study
1. It is a recently established scientific fact by USDA Forest Service research and by air monitoring work done by Oregon and Washington that Gorge air pollution is a significant problem. Visibility is impaired 95% of the time. An acid deposition study found high levels of acid rain in the Gorge. These pollutants are known to have a potentially severe impact on natural and cultural resources of particular concern to the Tribes.

2. Traditional tribal knowledge that is guided by centuries of observation and experience directly with land, water and air resources has established that the life-giving eco-system of the Gorge is suffering and is significantly impaired from where it was even 15 years ago.

3. The How-Laak Hush Wit or Sacred Breath of the Columbia River Gorge Project is an EPA-funded, inter-tribal project with two goals: 1) To identify and determine the effects of air pollution on natural and cultural resources of particular concern to the Tribes, and 2) To ensure that the Tribes are able to participate in the process of developing a Gorge air quality policy. (Specifically, we are compiling data on effects of pollution on plants and fish. We are currently studying the effects of pollution on the petroglyphs and pictographs.)

In order to achieve these goals, we have had to look at what pollutants are in the air and what sources are putting them there. It is an obvious question: What impact does this large coal-burning plant have on air pollution in the Gorge?

4. The air pollution in the Gorge includes nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides and fine particulate matter. These are the pollutants being emitted from the Coal plant. (We are also concerned about mercury emissions but that was not part of this study.)

Impact of Air Pollution to the people of the Yakama Nation
There is a direct negative impact to the people of the Yakama Nation and the natural and cultural resources in the Gorge. Indigenous people live closer to the land and water and are therefore at greater risk than the general population to these negative effects of pollutants in the environment.

The numbers of enrolled members who exercise their treaty rights for fishing, hunting and gathering on a regular on-going basis is in the upper thousands (exact figures unable to get on short notice). Over 300 enrolled members currently live in the cities and towns in the Gorge.

Since the first train track was laid over 150 years ago, there has been a steadily growing degradation to the quality of air in the Columbia basin. All resources, all people, animals, and plants are connected by the three elements of air, land and water. Any destruction suffered by one of these elements is suffered by all life forms in this balanced system.

Our people are suffering from high levels of cancer and diseases that could be related to the air pollution and water pollution. We are trying to get funding to study this and we will. This is only the beginning of our efforts to solve this problem.

Yakama Nation’s Response to the States’ study

1. The Yakama Nation has met regularly with the Columbia Gorge Commission and the state staff and leadership on Gorge air quality issues. We have not always agreed in process, but we have been clear in our support of the effort to identify sources and develop strategies that will lead to a Gorge air quality policy.
2. The states took two years to plan and 5 years to conduct a study that tells us that “man-made emission sources (such as cars, power plants and woodstoves) contribute relatively small amount to haze pollution.” This is a disappointing conclusion in the face of conclusive evidence to the contrary.

3. The EPA has delegated the responsibility for conducting research and working on policy as well as regulating major sources of air pollution to the states. In this case, the states of Oregon and Washington have violated the trust given them because they did not conduct this process in an effective manner. Instead they tell us, “There is no single action that can be taken to dramatically improve haze in the Gorge.” (Col. Gorge Air Quality Strategy Report, Oregon DEQ, 2/27/2008).

4. Resources spent on state studies: $1,520,000.00 Time: 5 + years

5. Resources spent on Sacred Breath Study with definitive result that tells us what we can do to significantly reduce the Gorge air pollution problem: under $6,000.00 (final amount not tabulated). Time: 3 months.

6. Yakama Nation calls for immediate action and maximum control measures to be taken with the PGE Boardman Plant. There is a great continued cost to human health and natural and cultural resources. We can make significant improvements to the Gorge air by this one action.

Findings Reported by Agencies compared to known Evidence: (Findings as reported in News Release dated: Feb. 5, 2008, ODEQ)

1. Visibility is improving or not degrading despite increases in population—Sacred Breath study, Dec. 2006 (Jaffe), showed evidence of no improvement;
2. Winter haze is dominated by sources east of the Gorge—Sacred Breath studies agree!;
3. Summer haze is dominated by sources west of the Gorge—We also agree with this assertion;
4. A large portion of the emission sources responsible for haze come from natural sources or from sources located outside the region—Yes, but the largest contributing source is PGE;
5. There is no single dominant source that is responsible for haze in the Gorge—We completely disagree. There is conclusive evidence in this Jaffe report;
6. A collection of actions over time will be needed to make progress toward haze reduction—Yes, but the biggest action, most money and time needs to be directed at the biggest source of the problem