Join Beyond Toxics at the 2026 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC)! The four-day conference includes over 125 panels, workshops, and multi-media presentations addressing a broad spectrum of environmental law and advocacy. This year's theme is "Fight Back: Voices for Good."

Beyond Toxics Ecosystems and Communities Project Manager Jennifer Eisele and Beyond Toxics Board Member Mary Stites will be participating in a panel discussion titled, "Speaking Truth to Power; Standing up for Safe Drinking Water and Clean Air through Community Grassroots Advocacy."

Conference Dates: March 12-15, 2026

Panel Date: 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 15

Where: University of Oregon School of Law, 1515 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97403

Panel Location: Law School Room 142

Today, our public right to clean air and safe and abundant drinking water is being threatened by climate change, deforestation, and certain agricultural practices, as well as the current political atmosphere. In Oregon, clearcutting and pesticide spraying of forestlands are a major threat to air and drinking water safety. A logger in Rockaway Beach stated that in the last 20 years, there has been a massive liquidation by private industry of the forestlands of Clatsop and Tillamook Counties. He said this is not sustainable and certainly not good for the salmon. Also, he said he no longer hears frogs croaking. NCCWP is working to bring public awareness to these issues and to support environmental justice advocacy work to protect drinking watersheds. How can we build resilience to these threats? How can we ensure that we have clean air? How can we protect drinking water sources? These questions need to be responded to with "calls to action."