NEDC was established by a group of professors, law students and attorney alumni at Lewis and Clark Law School in 1969. NEDC is an independent non-profit organization working to protect the environment and natural resources of the Pacific Northwest.
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News
Letter to Mayor of Lake Oswego Regarding Public Access to Oswego Lake
Mayor Joe Buck City of Lake Oswego P.O. Box 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 May 22, 2021 Minority Law Student Association, Lewis and Clark Law School, Native American Law Student Association, Lewis and Clark Law School, NEDC (Northwest Environmental Defense … Read More
Student Project Groups: Highlights of Fall 2020
NEDC has five student project groups for the 2020-2021 academic year, led by an awesome crew of volunteer Project Coordinators: Food & Agriculture Project Coordinators: Josie Moberg, Pegga Mosavi The Food & Agriculture Group is working on two main projects … Read More
An Interview with NEDC Law Clerk, Akriti Bhargava
What are some of your best childhood memories? I grew up alongside Fox Creek in suburban Somerset, New Jersey till I was about six years old. One of the clearest and fondest memories from that time is of my parents … Read More
Portland Metro Air Quality Remains A Priority for NEDC
NEDC has been partnering with Neighbors for Clean Air, the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School, and Reed College in a collaboration to reduce air toxics, especially diesel particulate emissions, in the Portland metro area. We are … Read More
NEDC Lawsuit Settlement Funds Habitat Restoration Project
Lower Johnson Creek Habitat Enhancement A recent NEDC Clean Water Act enforcement action against Ross Island Sand & Gravel helped fund a major restoration project this summer in Johnson Creek, a tributary of the Willamette River that flows into the … Read More
A Sweeping Victory for Willamette River Salmon and Steelhead
NEDC, along with our partners Native Fish Society and WildEarth Guardians, have secured a critically important victory for the Willamette River’s threatened salmon and steelhead populations. In August, Chief Judge Hernandez of the District of Oregon found that the U.S. … Read More
NEDC’s Stormwater Enforcement Efforts Continue
Stormwater runoff from industrial sites is a major contributor to water pollution in the Pacific Northwest. When precipitation comes into contact with industrial pollutants, these pollutants—if not properly managed—can be carried through stormwater runoff into the region’s waters. NEDC has … Read More
NEDC & DEI: Our Commitment, Priorities, and Work
By Matt Campa NEDC has been partnering with Portland-based consultant Yee Won Chong to conduct a comprehensive organizational review and identify opportunities for furthering equity and inclusion within our own organization as well as in the work we do. This … Read More
NEDC’s Journey Submitting Outstanding Resource Water Petitions
By Anna Tadio In 2018, NEDC began working to designate various lakes and rivers in Oregon as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs). This designation protects waters with exceptionally high water quality from degradation. When bodies of water are designated as ORWs, … Read More
Diesel Petition
Visit our Diesel Petition page for details about our petition to Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission to regulate diesel emissions from indirect sources
Cracking Down on Industrial Air Polluters
The Portland Tribune continues to provide excellent coverage of Oregon’s evolving industrial air toxics program. “I want to voice my support for the most protective outcome that can be achieved through this process,” said Mark Riskedahl, NEDC’s Executive Director. “Environmental … Read More
Westwind Registration is Open
Come join us out at spectacular Camp Westwind September 6-8 to celebrate NEDC’s 50th anniversary!
Waldo Lake
Help Protect Waldo Lake! Please take a moment today to e-mail Oregon DEQ and request that the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission grant our petition and commence a rule-making to designate Waldo Lake as an Outstanding Resource Water. waldolake2019@deq.state.or.us For … Read More
Clean Water Victory!
Regularly updating water pollution permits spurs innovation and progress. Thanks to the legal team at the Earthrise Law Center and to NEDC board member Karl Anuta for years of hard work on this matter, and to Governor Kate Brown for … Read More
Oregon DEQ Agrees to Settle NEDC’s Lawsuit to Reduce Pollution from Stormwater Runoff at Industrial Facilities
In a victory for water quality statewide, NEDC and Columbia Riverkeeper reached a legal settlement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) regarding the contents of the permit responsible for regulating toxic stormwater pollution from over 800 industrial sites … Read More
Vancouver Rail Oil Terminal Officially Dead; Port Admits to Violating the Law
The final chapter has closed in the multi-year lawsuit by NEDC, Columbia Riverkeeper, and the Sierra Club against the Port of Vancouver, Washington, over a proposal to build what would have been the nation’s largest rail-to-marine oil terminal there. In … Read More