6 Initiatives

Fighting Pollution

Defending the water and air that healthy families, clean beaches, and abundant salmon rely on.

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11 Out of 12 key water health indicators not improving. More on Puget Sound Vital Signs

2,200+ Pounds of trash cleaned from beaches in 2022. See upcoming cleanups

14+ Major fossil fuel export projects prevented in WA, OR, and British Columbia since 2012. Learn about the latest efforts

Pollution in its many forms is one of the biggest threats to the Salish Sea, human health, endangered orcas, and salmon. Whether it’s contaminated runoff from roads, the fossil fuel industry releasing climate-heating gases and toxic substances, plastics in our waste stream, or simply keeping garbage off our beaches, we know tackling a problem of this magnitude takes a multi-pronged approach. That’s why we have dedicated staff working on everything from holding polluters legally accountable to training community members to spot pollution on their own.

View the Puget Sound Vital Signs report to see where Washington stands in the many measurements that indicate a healthy Salish Sea — examining our region’s economic vitality, toxics in the fish we eat, and everything in between.

Whatcom County depends on clean air and water — it makes this a special place to live. The responsibility to protect and restore our waters is an increasingly urgent one. RE Sources has been growing and extending our reach to ensure Whatcom and Skagit Counties protects our precious water resources — Lake Whatcom, the Salish Sea, and all the rivers and streams that flow into it — before they are degraded beyond repair.

We also work to hold the fossil fuel industry in Whatcom and Skagit to higher standards. Oil companies have largely gotten a free pass in Whatcom County for over 60 years, getting major permits approved with inadequate environmental review or safety requirements, putting our communities and waterways at risk of dangerous oil spills and train explosions.

One key way you can fight pollution

If you see something that might be pollution, call or text our Pollution Hotline Mon-Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM! (360) 220-0556. Check out our handy guide for spotting common forms of pollution.

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