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

Aug. 28 and Sept 3- Recycling Batteries Hearings. Both events include a presentation and Q&A session. Register in advance at one of the following:   Aug. 28, 2025, 1-4 pm or Sept. 3, 2025, 6-9 pm.  See Actions section below for opportunity to leave comments.

Sept. 6. Amon Creek Community Walk. 9 am – 12:30pm. Meet at Amon Creek Elementary Parking Lot (18 Center Pkwy, Richland. Explore the Amon Basin Preserve riparian community. Guided walks led by volunteers from the Columbia Basin WA Native Plant Society and Tapteal Greenway will take folks on a short loop through the Amon Basin preserve to learn about how native plants impact water quality and wildlife in the basin. We’ll learn about local flora and fauna including the resident beaver population and their impact on the watershed.

Sept. 12. Sustainable Tri-Cities monthly meeting. Noon via Zoom. Bruce Rathbone will speak about EV and other federal incentives retiring this month, and the Drive Electric Month event Sept. 20.  Reports given on the ECY battery recycling program, new hazardous waste facility, saving trees in Prosser project, and our table for Riverfest. Volunteers needed.

Sept. 18.  Washington Green Amendment tour.  Learn about the Washington Green Amendment  and current efforts on building a grassroots coalition of advocates to secure this highest level of constitutional protection for environmental rights and environmental justice in the state of Washington. 6-8 pm. WA State University, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland. Registration at https://bit.ly/WashingtonGAtour is encouraged but not required to attend.

Sept. 20. Electric vehicles (cars, bikes, etc.) showcase at the REACH museum for Drive Electric Month. 10am- 2pm. Bring your plug-in vehicle to share your experiences with others.

Sept. 20. Fall Market at Blu. 11 am – 4 pm. Support the small businesses that make our region so vibrant. Find handmade treasures, meaningful gifts, and soul-nourishing connections. 1386 Jadwin Ave, Richland.

Sept. 21.  Monthly Market Tri-Cities Food Co-Op 3rd Saturday of the month: local vendors of handmade goods, seasonal produce, wellness products, fresh baked treats, and more. Coffee Bar 7 am – 7 pm. Every Sunday, 12–2 pm, Real Aid & Tri-Cities Distribution provides free food, hygiene items, and essentials. Wednesdays at 5:30 pm: learn about our local wineries and Co-op offerings. Wine tastings will be coming soon. Events are free. Volunteers needed. 1420 Jadwin Ave., Richland

 Sept. 24 – TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7pm. Via Zoom. Includes an action to support the EPA Endangerment Finding. Participate in climate solution teams: Carbon Pricing, Healthy Forests , Building Electrification and Efficiency, Clean Energy Permitting Reform

ACTIONS FOR September

Aug. 29. Deadline for the Richland Parks Survey. The City of Richland’s community survey is part of the ongoing update to its Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (PROS) Plan. Community members (hikers, parents, seniors, athletes…) are encouraged to share their ideas to help shape the future of Richland’s parks and recreation system. You may want to encourage tree shade and other sources of shade plus splash pads & misters.

Comment on Recycling Batteries. Comment at one of two public virtual hearings held via Zoom. Both events include a presentation and Q&A session. (see Events). Or comments may be submitted online: https://swm.ecology.commentinput.com?id=84Dx26bpJ9 or email to batterystewardship@ecy.wa.gov    WAC-173-905 Rules for statewide battery recycling program proposed  Goal: Implement a mandatory statewide battery recycle program managed through a ‘Battery Stewardship Organization (BSO) and monitored/enforced by the department of Ecology. Producers of batteries pay a fee in order to pay for recycling. (Extended Producer Responsibility principle). STC comments:  use multiple stream recycling (value/chemistry based), using existing infrastructure (limit costs) and consistent simplified messaging in order to regain consumer’s trust in recycling. Deadline for feedback is September 16, 2025.

EPA Endangerment Reconsideration. Reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards proposal comments may be submitted through September 22, 2025. See Ways to provide written comments, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194. “In 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its science-based finding that the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere endangers public health and welfare. It was made after a thorough rulemaking process considering thousands of public comments and was upheld by the federal courts…. Repealing the Endangerment Finding and climate protection standards for vehicles, power plants, and other industries would violate our nation’s clean air laws and betray public trust.” Read more here.

Provide comments for the regional climate action draft plan. Community members will be asked to say what they like about the plan, or suggest changes.  The input will help each of the five jurisdictions decide how to incorporate the regional draft into their local comprehensive plans. September public meeting dates to gather feedback will be posted here soon.

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 August

STC submitted feedback regarding RCW 82.19.020 Litter Tax Modernization  Goal: Due to a large litter problem in Washington State, the goal is to increase funding/revenue by adding new categories to be taxed (construction and auto-products). Language in the law about ‘youth programs’ would be removed. STC Feedback letter. (Including Tri-Cities Litter Report)

Met with Matt Mahoney of the Benton County Moderate Risk Waste Facility in Kennewick. See story below.

STC Monthly Meeting. The August 17 meeting was held in the Demonstration Garden at the Union Str. library. We discussed Jenni’s letter on Litter Tax Modernization and approved comments on the Dept. of Ecology’s new battery recycling program. See Actions for September.

Meeting on parking space minimums (Aug. 6 Richland City Council) was postponed.

WA State Climate Partnership (CCAP) – STC held an online meeting to comment on the draft before the Aug. 22 deadline. The goal of the CCAP is to “create an actionable, equitable, and comprehensive plan to  reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” They created an encyclopedia of opportunities. We agreed it meets their goals, and suggested to replace “support” with “fund” if possible.

Regional Climate Action Plan draft. A regional climate advisory team, CPAT, which includes Bill Barlow (STC) and Steve Ghan (CCL), provided input on the draft. Public hearing dates for Sept. will be posted soon.

Commented on Clean Energy Siting.  Provided ideas for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clean energy siting and permitting in WA state to the Interagency Clean Energy Siting Coordinating Council

Sustainable Tri Cities Resource Directory . Now available on the STC website. It defines then lists who is working on each topic in our community. The three main categories are Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability. Many thanks to STC member Les Stewart for this extensive resource for our community! If you see something to add to it, please let us know.

NEWS and THINGS to READ

The Benton County Moderate Risk Waste Facility (MRWF) opened to the public on August 20, 2025, with operating hours of 8:00 am -5:00 pm. It provides areas for material unloading, collecting/processing, and material storage of Moderate Risk Waste (MRW) and Household Hazardous Waste, and is located at 1709 S Ely Street in Kennewick, WA. Go here for a list of what is accepted.

Think You’re Safe from Climate Impacts? Think Again, WA Homeowners. By Steve Ghan August 5, 2025. Tri-City Herald.

September issue of Tumbleweird magazine.

See the Boots in the Basin section for the STC article on helping shape the climate element in our local comprehensive plans, and much more.

Project Nexus is a demonstration project funded by the State of California to test the installation of solar panel canopies over irrigation canals and other water conveyance systems.  The project , expectd to be completed in 2025, was inspired by a University of California study published in 2021 that demonstrated numerous water, energy, and cost co-benefits of covering California’s exposed aqueduct system with solar panels. [Sounds like a good idea for Washington’s dry side].

For more news and events, see the Sustainable Tri-Cities website  www.alsctc.org/events and Like the Face Book page.