Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. News, and Other Relevant Links
3. Related Organizations and Resources
4. Featured Resolutions

Milwaukie, Oregon’s resolution illustrates the vital role suburbs play in the nuclear disarmament movement, and emphasizes the interconnectedness of communities affected by nuclear contamination in the Pacific Northwest.

Milwaukie, located in the northwest corner of Clackamas County, Oregon, is a suburb of the Portland metropolitan area situated along the Willamette River. With a population of 21,119 in the 2020 Census, Milwaukie, like Portland, is affected by the Columbia River’s contaminated waterways, polluted by the historic plutonium reactors at the Hanford Site in Washington. In response to these impacts, a resolution aimed at addressing the harms of nuclear weapons was passed in 2022, made possible by a number of local leaders and activists who advocated for the health and safety of their communities, and for the world at large. Resolution 56-2022 was spearheaded by Kelly Campbell, who served as executive director of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) for over 13 years. A recipient of the 2019 Visionary Leaders Award from National PSR, Campbell was recognized for her work embedding equity and justice into PSR’s mission. Throughout her works she has committed to the protection and restoration of the river, serving on the advisory board of Oregon PSR, as well as the policy director of Columbia Riverkeeper, an organization committed to restoring and protecting the river and its connected waterways. Other key figures in the passage of this resolution include City Council President Kathy Hyzy, a Quaker, whose advocacy aligns with Milwaukie’s anti-nuclear stance and reflects the Quaker’s commitment to nuclear abolition. Carol Urner, a longtime Quaker activist, friend of Hyzy, and lifelong advocate for anti-nuclear and anti-militarism causes, has also been instrumental in advancing the anti-nuclear movement in Oregon. Urner, who passed away in January 2023, had campaigned across the U.S., including through the WILPF / Proposition One Campaign Nuclear-Free Future Tour in 2016. Milwaukie’s resolution text includes hyperlinks, a modernized approach to legislation that serves as a model for future policy documents by enhancing accessibility and transparency. Milwaukie’s resolution illustrates the vital role suburbs play in the nuclear disarmament movement, and emphasizes the interconnectedness of communities affected by nuclear contamination in the Pacific Northwest.