June 8, 2021
Statement on Electron Hydro fine from Chairman Bill Sterud, on behalf of Puyallup Tribal Council
The Department of Ecology’s fine against Electron Hydro today for its discharge of sports turf into the Puyallup River is a good step to protect our water and critically endangered sacred fish.
It is not the only step. We lose fish year after year. They begin life on the mountain and get chewed up by Electron Dam. Those that survive go down the river – now polluted by crumb rubber – and out to the bay, where they are greeted by multiple superfund sites. If they make it that far, they head out into the ocean through polluted waters, where they are butchered by commercial fisheries and seals.
Enough is enough. Fish don’t care about fines and bank accounts. They care about safe, unobstructed passage and clean water. The dam must be removed.
This is our message to Electron Hydro: We will continue to protect and preserve these waters. Myself, Tribal Council and 6,000 Puyallup Tribal Members are watching you.
We appreciate Ecology’s willingness to take the company’s atrocious actions seriously and hold it accountable, with the mechanisms it has at its disposal. Contaminating the mountain’s clean water and damaging the home of fish and wildlife has led to numerous actions from federal and state agencies. The Tribe looks forward to the EPA and other federal agencies meeting their trust obligations and holding Electron Hydro accountable in federal court in addition to the actions taken by Ecology today.
About the Puyallup Tribe of Indians
The Puyallup People have lived along the shores of what is now called Puget Sound since time immemorial. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a sovereign nation of 6,000 members and one of the largest employers in Pierce County. It serves its people and neighbors with generosity and is committed to building a sustainable way of life for future generations. Learn more about the Puyallup Tribe.
Contact:
Michael Thompson, Communications Director, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, (253) 344-3266; michael.thompson@puyalluptribe-nsn.gov
