PEAC Tackles 21st Century Transit

Is making way for more cars and trucks the best way to address transit needs - and global warming? Read more about PEAC's advocacy concerning the $4.2 billion proposed I-5 bridge in Portland.

Inadequate for Air

Aug. 14, 2008 - A PEAC-led coalition that uncovered Clean Air Act violations at the PGE-Boardman plant calls the state's plan to reduce pollution inadequate. Today's press releases from DEQ and our clients are only part of the story.

Hear PEAC attorney Aubrey Baldwin's comments on OPB.

9th Circuit Victory to Regulate Ballast Water

July 23, 2008 - The Ninth Circuit affirmed PEAC's arguments on behalf of Northwest Environmental Advocates, The Ocean Conservancy, and Sanfrancisco Baykeeper, upholding a district court order that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repeal its 1973 ballast water exemption under the Clean Water Act.

Ballast water, discharged by ships for stabilization, is a major source of invasive species and other pollutants in waters of the United States. As recognized by the Ninth Circuit, invasive species harm native threatened and endangered species and cost our economy $137 billion per year, more than double the annual economic damage of all natural disasters in the U.S.

Nine years after a PEAC student drafted and organized the first petition to the EPA, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed that ships arriving in all United States ports will need to obtain discharge permits before dumping their ballast water or be in violation of the law, placing 21 billion gallons, for the first time, under regulation.

Melissa Powers argued the case while a staff attorney at PEAC, co-counseling with Deborah Sivas, now at the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic.

Read more about the case, see the press release, read press or click here for court filings and oral arguments.

Saving Oregon from Toxics

May 29, 2008 - PEAC negotiated a significant settlement towards keeping toxic pollutants out of Oregon's waters, and ensuring that threatened and endangered species, like salmon and bull trout, are given clean habitat and a chance to recover. Namely, ending our 2007 case on behalf of Northwest Environmental Advocates, the EPA acknowledged its duty to review and address toxic pollutant water quality standards proposed in Oregon. Until our settlement, the EPA's failure to do meant that Oregon continued to operate under less protective standards, or without protections mandated by the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. EPA has now agreed to act on the new standards by January 2009 and fulfill its obligations under federal law.

Also in May, PEAC filed suit against Grabhorn, Inc., which operates one of the last unlined landfills in the Portland Metro region, for violations of the Clean Water Act. The Lakeside Reclamation Landfill, located on the banks of the Tualatin River a mere 1,250 feet upstream from the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge, is discharging toxic pollutants, threatening the health of the local ecosystem, which includes endangered salmon, rare amphibians, and countless bird species. The 50-year old unlined landfill has contaminated local groundwater, threatening drinking water supplies, and interfering with one of the Willamette Valley's finest wineries. PEAC's suit seeks to ensure that current pollution discharges are halted, and that the river, wildlife, and local economy are protected long after the landfill is shut down. Read about this in the Oregonian, find out about PEAC's other water work, and see the complaint.

Win for the Grizzly

May 28, 2008 – PEAC won critical protections for grizzly bears in Montana’s Flathead National Forest. In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy halted spring snowmobile use on over 52,000 acres to prevent harm to grizzly bears emerging from their winter dens.

Read more, including press, the press release and the opinion.