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Spokane River

SITE BACKGROUND

Several restoration projects are taking place along the Spokane River in Washington State. These projects are part of Governor Gregoire’s priority to Reduce Toxic Chemicals in the Environment. The work is being conducted through the Department of Ecology’s Toxics Cleanup Program in Spokane.  
 
Contaminants from historic mining practices in Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Basin washed downstream and settled in soil and sediment along certain beaches of the Spokane River.  These contaminants, known as heavy metals, include lead, arsenic, zinc, and cadmium.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted studies of mining contaminants in the
Coeur d’Alene Basin and began a wide-spread cleanup known as the Coeur d’Alene Basin Superfund cleanup. As part of the studies, and additional testing by Ecology, nine shoreline areas in Washington State also were identified for restoration.
 
Other cleanup projects being conducted along the Spokane River focus on PCBs, petroleum, and dross materials.  For details, see the links on the Spokane River Basin site under Toxics Cleanup Activities at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/geographic/spokane/spokane_river_basin.htm

• Studies of Spokane River Contaminants
  
• Ecological Risk Analysis of Elevated Metal Concentrations in the Spokane River, Washington -- added Nov 6, 2000
      Comments on the content of the draft report Ecological Risk Assessment (EcoRA) added Nov 20, 2000

• Health Advisories
  • Fish Advisories 2008
  • Fish Meal Advisory - July 2003
    • English: Fish Meal Advisory
    • Español: Aviso Sobre el Consumo de Pescado
    • Hmong: Tshaaj tawm txug kev noj cov ntseg kws nyob rua huv tug dlej Spokane River
    • Русский: Сообщение об Рыбе в Спокен Реке
    • tiếng Việt: Khuyến Cáo Về Việc Ăn Cá Bắt Từ Sông Spokane
       
  • Sediment Advisory - July 2003
    • English: Lead and Arsenic in Shoreline Soils
    • Español: Hay Plomo y Arsenico en Los Suelos Ribereños
    • Hmong: Kuas Lead Hab Arsenic Kws Nyob Rua Ntawm Ntub Dlej
    • Русский: СВИНЕЦ И МЫШьЯК В БЕРЕГОВОЙ ПОЧВЕ
    • tiếng Việt: CHAÁT CHÌ VAØ THAïCH TÍN TRONG ÑAÁT VEN SOÂNG
       
  • Fish Meal Advisory March 2001 (in Adobe pdf format)
     
  • Memo: Results from Analyzing Metals in 1999 Spokane River Fish and Crayfish Samples
     
  • Fish Tissue Study Raw Data
    • Table 1: Plan of Analysis
    • Table 2: Location Information and Biological Data
    • Table 3: Metals Concentrations
       
  • Map

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