Mission Statement: Sustainable Tri-Cities provides opportunities for people of the Tri-Cities to learn about and act on ways to protect our environment for a healthy and rapidly changing future.

EVENTS

Badger Mt. Work Parties. Regular weeding crews will be out on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings until Sept. 2. Volunteers are needed and training is included for anyone who wants to join in.

Aug. 4. Online Ecology webinar: Washington’s Water Future. 12 pm. This meeting will provide an opportunity to learn more about the water challenges facing our state and to share your thoughts on: 

• What a resilient water future looks like for you in Washington, and what priorities drive that vision.
• What solutions will move towards that vision and address those needs.
• What barriers are in the way and how Washington can help. Register for Aug. 4 

Aug. 8. Gardening for Everyone: Accessibility in the Garden. 10:30 am. Join Master Gardeners to learn healthy habits for gardening as you age. Waterfall Classroom at the Demonstration Garden, 1620 S Union St., Kennewick.

Aug. 8. Winter Craft Supplies Swap 10:30 am -12 pm. Houseplant Lovers summer swap 12 pm – 4 pm. Bring some of your supplies that you no longer need or just want to share. Lay your items out on supplied tables and let the fun of swapping begin. Trades and gifting only – no sales allowed. Doris Roberts Gallery, Richland library, 955 Northgate Dr, Richland.

Aug. 11. Melon Tasting with Schreiber Farms. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. $36.83. Barnard Griffin Winery, 878 Tulip Lane, Richland. Class, Training, or Workshop, Food & Drink. Alan Schreiber is back to talk all about MELONS – and you’ll be tasting them, too.

Aug. 19. Dept. of Ecology online webinar on rulemaking for the Recycling Reform Act . 1 pm – 4 pm. Rulemaking for the new rule, chapter 173-950WAC will guide implementation of the Recycling Reform Act, to create an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for materials used to package consumer goods and paper products. Register for the online webinar.

Aug. 22. STEAM Workshop: Solar Science. 10 am -12 pm. REACH Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. Families will investigate how sunlight can produce heat and electricity, experiment with solar-powered technology, and explore the role renewable energy can play in our everyday lives.

Aug.  22. STC monthly meeting. Contact us at sustainabletricities1@gmail.com for location. Agenda: accomplishments, more action opportunities, plan Riverfest tabling and projects.

Aug. 26. TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7 pm. Shalom UCC church and on Zoom Participate in climate solution teams: Carbon Pricing, Healthy Forests, Building Electrification and Efficiency, and Clean Energy Permitting Reform, and help plan local educational events.

More events on our Face Book page and website.

Actions for August

Local Comprehensive plan updates: Benton and Franklin County and each city is working on updating their comprehensive plans, which are due December 2026, including adding a climate element. The plans guide decision-making for the next 20 years. STC suggested comments HERE.

Kennewick’s comprehensive plan public hearing draft update  “We invite you to review the draft Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use Map, new Housing Action Plan, and updates to our Critical Areas regulations, and SEPA checklist here.”  Provide your insight and suggestions by sending an email to Matt Halitsky at Matt.Halitsky@ci.kennewick.wa.us . Comments for the SEPA Checklist are due August 3, 2026 @ 4:30 pm. All other comments are due on August 17, 2026 @ 4:30 pm.  

Dept of Ecology Report on the Recycling Refund Community Engagement Study. The report summarizes community engagement efforts conducted around WA State to understand potential impacts of a recycling refund program (bottle bill).  Submit a comment on the report by  August 10, 2026 and learn more at  bit.ly/Ecology-Public-Comment  The final report is due to the WA State Legislature by Jan. 1, 2027.

The Dept of Ecology Battery Stewardship plan. Review plan and submit your comments at the public comment portal  Comments are due August 24, 2026.

Washington’s Water Future is a new statewide initiative led by Governor Ferguson and Ecology to help Washington prepare for growing water challenges. Public input survey due August 31, 2026. See details  See events above for August 4 public input session.  

Hanford Sitewide Permit, Revision 9A.  Tell Ecology what is important to you for the cleanup of Hanford.

Learn more about the Sitewide Permit and how to comment at ecology.wa.gov/REV9A  Deadline Oct. 27.

 See the Sustainable Tri-Cities Resource Directory and let us know what needs to be added.  Send your events and volunteer opportunities to SustainableTricities1@gmail.org   so we can post them on our website and put them in this newsletter.

What we did in July

• STC monthly meeting, Saturday July 25, at Bill’s house. Planned summer and fall events and actions.

• Earth Day Planning for 2027: looking for keynote speaker; gathering articles for the Earth Day Guide; Waste to Value school project.

• Community outreach on heat and wildfire smoke resilience.  STC had a table at the Richland Public Library on July 29 and 30. We discussed these topics and provided handouts from the BF Health District: ways to stay cool in the heat, recognizing heat exhaustion or heat stroke, community cooling center list, wildfire smoke/ air quality safety, toxic algae, and more. This information will be available on the STC website soon under Resources. Our Eco Yard (a residential model showing ways to conserve water and energy) led to many discussions about native plants, tree care, and so on.