Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Strategic Planning

The Columbia River Basin region within Washington State faces significant and ongoing chemical contamination challenges that require a coordinated, long-term approach to toxics reduction. Addressing these issues demands meaningful collaboration across multiple agencies, Tribes, and interest groups, as well as a deep understanding of community priorities, ecosystem health, and current chemical management actions. Without a unified strategic framework, efforts to reduce contamination loading, guide regional funding, and drive ecosystem recovery risk remain fragmented and ineffective.

ERG is serving as a strategic partner to the Washington Department of Ecology on a multi-year initiative to develop the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Strategic Plan—a comprehensive, sustainable framework for addressing toxic chemical contamination in the region. Over approximately four years, ERG will guide development of the plan through a structured process beginning with a situation assessment, followed by a community evaluation, social ecology framework, and an outreach and engagement plan. Throughout the process, ERG will provide technical support and expertise, along with meeting and workshop planning support and facilitation, to ensure community priorities and feedback are documented and incorporated at every stage. The resulting plan will accomplish several key objectives: fostering collaboration and citizen engagement to build a shared understanding of current conditions and management actions; identifying ecosystem recovery strategies; establishing guidelines for future regional funding decisions; and generating targeted toxics reduction programs to reduce contamination loading in surface waters.