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New Beginnings and New Hopes February 10th rang in Lunar New Year, Year of the Wood Dragon, and Year 4722 in the Chinese calendar. Wishing you a year of progress, new hopes and strength! February is also the month for planting seeds of love and growth. On this end, we wanted to share about this past weekend where we were partnering with South Seattle Community College (Georgetown Campus), the non-profit SUGi Urban Forestry Project, the Duwamish Tribe, and volunteers from the college and community to transform what was once the Hat ‘n’ Boots gas station into the Georgetown Community Forest. This project is a great example of bringing partners together towards healing the land we live in by improving air quality and soil health, as well as giving people “a calm space where they can immerse themselves in nature”. On Saturday Feb. 10 we planted 1,000 trees covering more than 3,000 square feet with 44 different varieties of native plant species. We look forward to watching the Georgetown Community Forest grow as it combats industrial pollution and supports our community’s overall health. We had over 150 participants from the community engaged in planting and making it possible, including 70 local youth.
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Welcome to a new team member!
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Mia Ayala-Marshall (she/her), Climate Policy Analyst In the past, Mia was an intern with the Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC). She supported community outreach events, the creation of accessible outreach materials, and the execution of the annual Duwamish River Festival. Mia also interned at the White House in the Office on Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation (OCEII). She supported the OCEII team in implementing the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Biden-Harris climate agenda. Mia supported the development and implementation of clean energy, sustainability, conservation, and environmental justice policies at the federal level. Mia is excited to combine her previous work experiences and passions to uplift the voices of those in the Duwamish Valley and advocate for diverse, equitable, and inclusive environmental and social justice policies. Mia believes that a clean, healthy, and equitable environment for people and wildlife is achievable, and is thrilled by the opportunity to support DRCC’s mission. In her free time, Mia enjoys reading, weightlifting, spending time with friends and family, and any activity outdoors! |
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See you next year CURB! In the latest legislative session, we witnessed the ups and downs of the Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act, known as HB2070 in the House and SB 5990 in the Senate. Despite the fervent support and tireless efforts of environmental advocates and community members, we must inform you that CURB has officially "died" and will not be moving forward for a full vote in either legislative chamber this session. While this news may initially seem disheartening, we encourage our community to view this development through a lens of optimism and determination. The journey of CURB in this short legislative session was noteworthy for several reasons: Expands the Scope of Pollution Regulation: It mandates the inclusion of previously unaddressed pollutants affecting health. Protection for Vulnerable Communities: It identifies and provides specific protections for communities disproportionately harmed by pollution. Stricter Permitting Process: The bill requires the denial of permits for new facilities contributing to cumulative pollution. It also necessitates collaborative efforts with existing facilities seeking permit renewals to gradually reduce pollution levels. Community Participation: A vital feature of the CURB Act is the emphasis on frontline community participation in the permit evaluation process.
Thank you everyone for your support this year, including our partners at Front and Centered with whom we worked very closely this session to make CURB a reality! Your support, voices, and advocacy will be instrumental in ensuring CURB's success in the next legislative session. Together, we can overcome the challenges and seize the opportunity to make CURB a cornerstone of our state's commitment to environmental justice and sustainable development.
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Check out our staff member Christian giving public testimony.
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Flooding Plans in the Duwamish ValleyFlooding is our region’s most common natural disaster and part of urban and rural life in King County. The King County Flood Management Plan guides King County’s work to reduce flood risks. The draft King County Flood Management Plan will be available for public comment from Jan. 31 – March 15, and the County will host two online meeting options during the public comment period. The new Flood Plan will benefit families, homes, and businesses for years to come. Register today, your voice makes a difference! Meetings will be held on Zoom on February 15 and March 7. Register: Thursday, February 15, from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. Register: Thursday, March 7 from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. If you have questions about the flood plan, contact Jason Wilkinson, Project Manager, King County Water and Land Resources Division, at jason.wilkinson@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-4786.
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DAISY Box Fan DistributionWe are getting ready to distribute box fans and other materials for families in the Duwamish Valley and have received our first shipment of box fans for this project. We cannot wait to get them to homes in South Park and Georgetown with asthma. Do you know any child with asthma? Help spread the word! If you or someone you know could benefit from this study, feel free to share this flier. Together, we can make a difference to lower asthma rates.
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Joseph Santana, Dr. Anjum Hajat, and Maria Cristina prepping the box fans.
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Thank you for a great third book club gathering!We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your presence and contributions to our third Duwamish Valley Book Club meeting. We are incredibly grateful for your input, feedback and the time you invested in making the meeting a success. Our Book Club continues! We are reading chapter 5 of The River That Made Seattle for our final meeting. Please stay tuned for more information about our final meeting in March!
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We want to thank Jose Vasquez, South Park community member during our last book club meeting sharing his experience growing up in South Park and all the advocacy efforts he and his family has done!
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Join the Air Toxics Monitoring Report Open House
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When: Feb 15th Thursday, 5:30-7:30PM Where: Duwamish River Community Hub, 8600 14th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98108 What: The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will share results of an EPA-funded air toxics monitoring study. Staff will be on hand for a presentation of the data, how it compares to previous studies, and what can be done to reduce air toxics in the Duwamish Valley. The presentation will also include the results of the Duwamish Valley community-directed portion of the work from the great input we received from you before the study started (in 2021). We'll have food and refreshments and hope to see you there! |
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Learn more about Lower Duwamish Waterway cleanupWednesday, Feb. 28
4:00–7:00 p.m.
At Seattle Public Library - South Park Branch
Join us this month in South Park to learn more about Lower Duwamish Waterway cleanup in general. Connect with cleanup site managers, technical staff, and our outreach team in-person!
Questions? Contact Meredith Waldref.
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Come meet us at The Scene in South Park!
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DRCC will be at The Scene in South Park coffee shop on February 22nd 9:30am-11:30am and every other fourth Thursday to chat with community members about our work and receive feedback. We are looking forward to seeing you there; please bring all your curiosity, questions and awesomeness with you. The Scene is located at: 1249 S Cloverdale St, Seattle, WA 98108 Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. Contact: Mamudou@drcc.org or visit our instagram @drcc_org for more information. |
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DRCC is organizing a local Job Fair!
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DRCC is organizing a job fair to take place Saturday, May 11 from 11:30-3:30 at Concord Elementary (723 S Concord St 98108). We are focusing on local employment opportunities (South Park and Georgetown) as well as the maritime industry. There are about 40,000 jobs in the Duwamish Valley–we want YOU to be able to walk to a living-wage job! Please keep an eye out for more details as planning continues. |
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Save-the-Date For The Duwamish River Festival
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Join us on August 3rd in celebrating are one and only river, Duwamish River. Come down to the Duwamish Valley and enjoy a day full of fun and free activities throughout the day. |
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