We promote sustainable communities and protect the health of northwestern Washington's people and ecosystems through application of science, education, advocacy, and action. Our vision is to see people living satisfying lives in accord with the ecosystem we depend on — generation after generation. Join us. PROTECT. ACTIVATE. INNOVATE. THRIVE. Powered by you.
YES on I-1631 Bellingham Launch: Clean up pollution, create good jobsBellingham Unitarian Fellowship 1207 Ellsworth St, Bellingham (map)
I-1631 will invest in clean energy infrastructure, healthy forests, and clean water, creating thousands of jobs across in Washington State. Join us on April 19th to get all the tools you need to help collect signatures, or simply come to learn more about the initiative! More at www.YesOn1631.org.
Backed by a diverse coalition of leaders in organized labor, communities of color, health professionals, businesses, environmental advocates, faith communities and sovereign tribes we are ready to fight for healthier communities and a stronger economy for all in Washington.
Sustainable AgricultureWe are committed to protecting clean water in Whatcom County and the Salish Sea and have made meaningful progress, but fertilizer and manure running off factory farms is still a major problem. One of the core recommendations in the 2017 State of the Sound report is “Require best practices for agriculture to ensure abundant local food, a thriving economy and clean safe water while avoiding risks to native species such as pacific salmon and shellfish.” That is why we’ve joined food safety and environmental justice groups to fight for common-sense standards to limit agricultural pollution. Read more.
It takes a team effort to keep Whatcom County’s water cleanIn Whatcom County, we have learned the hard way that we can’t take our good fortune for granted. From the efforts to restore Bellingham’s waterfront, you know that the cost of cleanup far exceeds the cost of prevention. You also know that declining water quality in Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for 100,000 residents, gets more and more expensive to treat – a cost ultimately borne by you and me.
To keep Whatcom County special, we need to be vigilant. We need to be careful. And we need to take action when pollution does taint our precious waters. That is RE Sources’ job, and we’ve done it for 35 years – upholding standards of respect, integrity, and always keeping an eye toward the future we are creating for our grandchildren. They deserve a future in which a prosperous community and clean water continue to coexist. Read more.
Joint Statement on Washington CAFO Permit Appeal Settlement NegotiationsIn August 2017, RE Sources and six other social and environmental organizations reached out to the Dairy Federation and Farm Bureau to suggest a 5-month period to negotiate a resolution to both parties' appeals of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) General Permit (a state-mandated pollution discharge permit for livestock farms that confine animals). Both RE Sources and the Ag Industry had appealed the permit in 2017. In their appeal, the six social and environmental justice organizations had asked for measures (based on best-available science) to protect local ground and surface water proven by Ecology and other scientists to be contaminated by fecal coliform and nitrates — contaminants destructive to fish populations and harmful to human health.
"During this negotiation period, we remain hopeful that we can come to an agreement that protects our community and environment, while offering local industrial agriculture operations the measures they need to update outdated, high-risk systems. The only way we are going to solve this community-wide threat to clean water is if we work together." — Crina Hoyer, RE Sources Executive Director
Clean Water Act — 45th anniversaryThere are few things more fundamental to our health and well-being than clean water. We just celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a law designed to protect all of our waters from pollution and destruction. Read more about the Clean Water Act, it's significance, and how it's under attack. Especially in the case of large, industrial pollution with little accountability, the Clean Water Act provides a safety net for citizens to stand up to those compromising public waters — no matter how big the polluter. When education, cooperation, and policy enforcement fail to protect our water resources, the North Sound Baykeeper turns to the Clean Water Act. And when we win a Clean Water Act suit against a polluter, we never see any money from that case. Read more about what happens to Clean Water Act settlement funds.
There’s never been a better time to go solar!Washington Goes Solar! is a project of RE Sources that offers homeowners and businesses help with solar installations. This hassle-free, fun program is created to offer you the best value and the easiest access to the information you need to make a decision to go solar. Thanks to you, RE Sources earned 48 solar panels for installation on our building! We look forward to continuing this work
Millennium coal terminal in Longview denied
On September 26th, the WA Department of Ecology denied a necessary water quality permit for the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals coal export facility in Longview, rendering the project officially dead. If built, Millennium would have been the largest coal export facility in North America, exporting up to 44 million tons of coal overseas. Read more.
Educators: Register for free education programs from sustainability experts
Our elementary, middle, and high school education specialists are now enrolling classrooms and student groups to participate in our free programs. Empower your students to be active creators of their future, challenging them to think critically about their use of natural resources, and inspire them to be a part of the solution. Learn more about our new offerings for the school year. Contact us at schools@re-sources.org or (360) 733-8307 to get started today.
Clean Water Act case settled with Cargill, Inc.On December 1 st, RE Sources & Puget Soundkeeper Alliance settled a $70K suit with Cargill, Inc. for polluted stormwater runoff from their facility in Ferndale. Cargill, a billion-dollar global commodities distributor, has been out of compliance with their industrial stormwater permit for five years at their Ferndale facility, despite warnings from Dept. of Ecology. Water quality downstream in the Lummi and Nooksack Rivers has been compromised with pollutants toxic to salmon (including threatened Chinook) and aquatic life, threatening downstream shellfish beds and fish populations. We are pleased to see Cargill take responsibility for the impacts on our community and commit to remedying the problem. As in all legal cases, settlement funds are not received by RE Sources directly or indirectly. Funds will be designated by a third party, agreed upon by all litigants, and go toward water quality restoration projects to offset the damage. Read the full press release.
Voted best nonprofit in BellinghamRE Sources was named the best nonprofit in 2015 by Cascadia Weekly readers in the "Best of Bellingham." The paper said "Some organizations are born great, others achieve greatness in the way they approach their mission. RE Sources is a little of both." Read more in the Cascadia Weekly's Best of Bellingham, page 14. We think the reason for our greatness is YOU! Thank you so much for making our victories possible.
Waterkeeper Alliance memberOur North Sound Baykeeper is a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international nonprofit that strengthens and grows a global network of grassroots leaders protecting everyone’s right to clean water. The Waterkeeper Alliance is made up of over 300 organizations and affiliates protecting rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents, with a goal of swimmable, drinkable, fishable water everywhere. Learn more.
If you see pollution, report it! Call the Pollution Hotline: (360) 220-0556. Please take photos and be prepared to discuss location and details about the pollution.
Special thanks to our business sponsors and partners who help make our work possible:
Thanks to the Mountaineers Foundation for awarding the 2017 Paul Wiseman Conservation Education Grant to RE Sources. This generous funding will be used to support our Young Water Stewards Program.
As a 501(c)(3) organization, RE Sources does not directly or indirectly influence any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. |
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