By Nancy Neyenhouse, Chair - Grant Screening Committee
The vision of the Mountaineers Foundation dedicates the organization to passing the best possible environmental legacy to ensuing generations. This strong vision statement compels the Foundation to strive to award grants over a broad spectrum of environmental arenas and rivers are a natural fit. In 2007, Foundation grants awarded for river conservation supported both direct, hands-on projects and the development of outreach materials.
The Columbia Riverkeeper’s clam toxicity study began with testing the heavy metal toxicity levels in clams upstream and downstream of major polluters in the Columbia River – the former site of the Alcoa aluminum mill in Vancouver, the City of Portland’s and the City of Vancouver’s sewage treatment plants. Successful testing results could lead to a cost effective way to demonstrate the pollution effects of major industrial and municipal facilities on the Columbia. The clam samples helped pinpoint PCB pollution from the old Alcoa aluminum mill as contaminating an area that is a popular clamming area used heavily by low income SE Asian immigrants in the Vancouver area.  In fact, it is likely the most popular clamming area for SE Asian immigrants on the Columbia River.
Brent Foster, Executive Director for Columbia Riverkeeper, stated how difficult it is to find granting organizations willing to support advocacy-oriented science. He stated funding from the Mountaineers Foundation was key in cementing his organization’s involvement in strategically focused toxics monitoring projects on the Columbia River.  Because of Foundation funding, Columbia Riverkeeper was able to secure funding from several other conservation groups to pursue a toxics monitoring project on the Columbia that tested for high priority toxics such as PBDEs and PCBs. Columbia Riverkeeper tested waters flowing directly from storm-runoff outfall pipes to find heavy concentrations of PCBs and other heavy metals. The data received on high PCB concentrations in the clams sampled was relied on by U.S. EPA as one of the factors that supported their decision to investigate whether Vancouver Lake, a popular Vancouver recreation area, warranted listing as a Superfund cleanup site.  The EPA is presently in the process of considering listing the lake which would be a big step forward.

The vision of the Mountaineers Foundation dedicates the organization to passing the best possible environmental legacy to ensuing generations. Please donate to help us continue this vital work in our community.