fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

A logistics company and several of its affiliates agreed to pay more than a half-million dollars to two Washington tribes and several government entities as part of a consent decree lodged by the Department of Justice earlier this year.  

Lyden Inc. and its affiliates will pay $556,250 to a group of trustees that includes the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the Suquamish Indian Tribe, the state of Washington and the U.S. government. The settlement funds will be used to restore the habitat along Seattle’s Lower Duwamish River, which was “injured” by releases of hazardous substances and oil, according to a legal filing in federal court in Seattle. 

 

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 

 “The Lower Duwamish River, which flows into Elliott Bay, has been subject to considerable levels of industrial and other uses by numerous parties throughout its history and into the present,” the filing says. “These contaminants have had serious impacts on the aquatic organisms and other natural resources that inhabit, or come into contact with, contaminated sediments or eat contaminated prey.”  

 According to the court filing, the defendants' business operations resulted in releases of hazardous substances, including but not limited to, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), tributyltin, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and phenol to the Duwamish River. PAHs are a class of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The most significant endpoint of PAH toxicity is cancer, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The plaintiffs in the legal action include the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Interior, the state of Washington’s Department of Ecology, and the two tribes.   

 The defendants in the legal action include Lynden, Knik Construction Co., Douglas Management Co., Alaska Marine Lines Inc., Swan Bay Holdings Inc., Bering Marine Corp., LTI, Inc., Lynden Transport, Inc. and three limited liability companies. 

Lynden Inc. did not respond to a request for comment by Native News Online

 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the Lower Duwamish Waterway a “Superfund” site in 2001. Known by the agency as the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, it’s eligible for a special federal cleanup program funded by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) because of the identified severity of contamination. Superfund sites are polluted locations that require a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. 

As of March 29, 2023, there were 1,336 Superfund sites on the EPA’s National Priorities List, which is up from 1,334 from Native News Online’s reporting last year. There is no comprehensive list of how many Superfund sites are on, or near, tribal lands. According to the Government Accountability Office, the EPA does not have reliable data identifying National Priorities List sites on tribal property or those affecting tribes.

This is not the first time the two tribes have been involved in legal action to help restore the Duwamish from environmental harm. 

In June 2021, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington finalized a consent decree that called for Vigor Industrial LLC and Exxon Mobil Corporation to pay $815,817 for habitat restoration of the Duwamish River. The Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribes were plaintiffs in that legal action, along with the NOAA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the State of Washington.

More Stories Like This

Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III Joins Oregon Law as Inaugural Oregon Tribes Scholar-in-Residence
Interior Department Moves to Expand Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve
Feds Release Final Environmental Impact Statement on Oak Flat Mine
Interior Department Announces Over $119 Million for Abandoned Coal Mine Reclamation
Osage Minerals Council Celebrates the Final Dismissal of Hayes II Litigation

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Author: Darren ThompsonEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Darren Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) is a staff reporter for Native News Online who is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Thompson has reported on political unrest, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous issues for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Indian Country Today, Native News Online, Powwows.com and Unicorn Riot. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Voice of America on various Indigenous issues in international conversation. He has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology & Law Studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.