2026 Annual Meeting

PNW SETAC will be holding its annual conference in Leavenworth, Washington on April 15–17th, 2026!

The draft meeting agenda is available (link)!

This year’s theme, Science on the Edge: Managing Environmental Stressors with Resiliency, recognizes that our work is unfolding during a time of rapid change. Regulatory frameworks are shifting as budgets shrink, agencies face staffing cuts, and environmental and public health priorities are increasingly de-prioritized at the federal level. At the same time, the Pacific Northwest faces escalating climate pressures, from record-setting temperatures, wildfires, shifting hydrology, and rising sea levels.

How do we respond as scientists and practitioners when the challenges multiply and the resources to address them contract? What does resiliency look like in this climate? We invite presentations and posters that showcase resilient approaches in environmental science, toxicology, and chemistry including but not limited to:

• Adaptive management strategies for contaminated-site cleanup and long-term monitoring
• Climate-informed restoration and habitat design
• Innovative ecological or human-health risk assessments
• Advancements in analytical methods and site assessment to address emerging contaminants of concern
• Collaborative approaches that bridge regulatory, academic, and community priorities, and that honor Tribal sovereignty, uphold treaty obligations, and integrate Tribal ecological knowledge in respectful and collaborative ways

We encourage presenters to reflect on how their work advances environmental justice. Who benefits from or is burdened by environmental decisions? How can science inform more equitable approaches? How can collaboration and partnerships amplify underrepresented voices? How is science communicated to support shared understanding and informed decision-making?

Special Sessions at PNW SETAC 2026

Keynote Address

Ryan Babadi, Toxic-Free Future, will be presenting Safer products, chemicals, and practices: science communication and advocacy for policy solutions as the 2026 keynote address.

Short Course Series: Science Communication

The Science Communication Short Course will feature two complementary sessions. The first session, Integrity and Transparency in Scientific Communication: Pull Back the Curtain, from Alison Geiselbrecht, PhD, Floyd|Snider, will focus on the foundations, processes and outcomes necessary to ensure scientific credibility and data integrity while acknowledging the realities of different work environments. When Fish Speak English, from Heidi Siegelbaum, Washington Stormwater Center at Washington State University, will feature background on cognitive science, the realities of addressing the irrational human, communication advice and tools for effective science communication. 

Attendees will come away with guideposts, resources and partake in conversation that will add to the richness of the discussion and experiences from the audience.

Indigenous Leadership in Chemical Risk Management

Chemical pollution threatens treaty-protected resources and culturally grounded lifeways across the Pacific Northwest, while existing chemical risk management frameworks often fail to reflect tribal governance systems, tribally relevant exposure pathways, or indigenous definitions of environmental health. This session will share how tribal nations are responding through innovative, sovereignty-driven approaches that center responsibilities to land, water, and future generations. This session also invites scientists, regulators, tribal leaders, and community partners to engage in dialogue that respects indigenous knowledge as lived law, recognizes tribal governance as foundational, and advances more accountable, place-responsive approaches to chemical risk management.

The session will consist of three presentations and a roundtable discussion. Two of the presentations are below:

• Áwtni Tkʷátat (First Foods) as Climate Resilience: Tribal Stewardship, Cultural Resources Protection, and Sovereignty, Wenix N. Red Elk, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Department of Natural Resources
• Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Assessing Chemical Risk, Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles  Ph.D., Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, The University of British Columbia

Registration Cost

Stay At The Enzian Inn

We request that you please plan use the conference room block at the Enzian Inn. Affordable rates for hosting the conference here are dependent on our meeting the room block commitments, which we find to be reasonably priced. The room block is available for dates between April 14 – 18, 2026. The food and comfort at the hotel come highly rated and staying here supports the chapter!

Use the “Add code” dropdown with group code “2504SETAC” to apply our discount event rate

Join the Board

We encourage members to consider becoming more involved in PNW SETAC by joining the Board. Open positions for the 2026 term include Vice President, Treasurer, and four At-Large positions: Government, Industry, Academic, and Student.

Elections for open board positions will take place during early summer (~June) and terms begin early fall (~September). The board meets biweekly during fall and winter, after which meetings increase to weekly for the months leading up to the annual meeting.

We look forward to seeing you in Leavenworth in April!