The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are raising their voice in the aftermath of one of Washington state’s worst recent industrial disasters — urging environmental accountability and warning that the long-term health of the Columbia River, and the salmon runs it sustains, must not be minimized.
What Happened
A tank implosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. paper mill in Longview, Washington killed 11 workers and caused a catastrophic leak of white liquor — a highly caustic chemical mixture used in pulp manufacturing. Thousands of fish died in the ditch and dike system near the plant. Some of the chemical runoff made its way into the Columbia River.
State and federal agencies have said that river conditions currently meet established safety standards, but tribal leaders are urging vigilance well beyond the initial incident response.
The Tribe’s Statement
Warm Springs Tribal Chairman Dennis White III released a formal statement expressing grief for the workers who died and calling on government and industry to treat the Columbia River as the living, treaty-protected ecosystem it is:
“We are river people. We come from the Big River. Our river is a way of life, and water is life. We have a responsibility to speak for our river — we are its voice.”
— Dennis White III, Tribal Chairman, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
White noted that the Tribes’ 1855 treaty with the United States expressly reserved their right to fish at usual and accustomed places along the Columbia River and its tributaries — rights repeatedly upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Contaminated water was directed into the Columbia River — a living ecosystem that is directly connected to our people, our culture, and our way of life. When decisions are made during an environmental emergency, the long-term protection of natural resources must be considered alongside immediate public safety concerns.”
Why It Matters for Jefferson County
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation covers more than 644,000 acres in Jefferson County and neighboring Wasco and Jefferson counties. The tribal economy, culture, and food sovereignty are deeply tied to salmon runs on the Columbia and its tributaries, including the Deschutes River which flows through Jefferson County.
The Tribes co-own a portion of the Portland General Electric hydroelectric system on the Deschutes and have long been active stewards of both the river corridor and the fish populations that depend on it.
Chairman White’s statement concluded with a call for continued transparency: “We will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability, and the highest level of environmental protection. We owe that responsibility to the Columbia River and to the generations who will depend upon it in the future.”
For updates on water quality monitoring along the Columbia River, visit the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality at oregon.gov/deq.