“Governor Tina Kotek responds to Lower Umatilla Basin nitrate crisis, ORA calls for emergency declaration”

Written By Oregon Rural Action

By Thomas Metcalf | NonStop Local News - Tri-Cities & Yakima | June 24, 2024

“Oregon Governor Tina Kotek responded on Fri., June 21 to a letter sent by Oregon Rural Action (ORA) in May that called for action against nitrate contamination in wells in the Lower Umatilla Basin.

The letter, signed by over 30 local organizations, said that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) had not met a Sept. 30, 2023 deadline to test all rural wells, stating that only 30 percent had been tested. Since that deadline, ORA alleges that about half of all wells are still untested.

In a response letter, Gov. Kotek states that the State of Oregon is working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on “providing safe drinking water and remediation of the underlying aquifer contamination.””




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