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Environmental justice group asks Mabton to coordinate water testing in Lower Yakima Valley
Summary
Local environmental advocates asked the council to meet with university partners and Friends of Popanesh Creek to coordinate municipal and well water testing after prior findings of nitrates and arsenic, and invited officials to a February community listening session.
Representatives of a local environmental justice group asked the Mabton City Council to coordinate water testing with university partners and Friends of Popanesh Creek following tests that found elevated nitrates and arsenic in parts of the Lower Yakima Valley. A letter read at the meeting identified the environmental justice coordinator (Maricela Altana Wyatt) and requested a meeting between the council and Central Washington University and other partners to plan municipal and private well sampling and community outreach.
The group cited public-health links—such as asthma and chronic disease—to water and air pollution and said more local data are needed for engineers and state agencies. The letter asked the council to connect staff and the mayor with the project team and invited officials to a community listening session planned for February; it asked the council to RSVP by email.
Council members did not commit to a specific funding source at the meeting but the staff contact was requested so the group and university partners could move forward with planning. Advocates emphasized that more granular local data would be needed to pursue state-level responses or funding.
