“Water contamination in Oregon could prompt EPA to step in”
BOARDMAN, Ore. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is urging Oregon to clean up water contamination from nitrates in the eastern part of the state, warning it could step in under the Safe Drinking Water Act in the absence of sufficient local action.
It’s been three decades since state agencies first noted high levels of nitrate contamination in the groundwater in Morrow and Umatilla counties, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, and residents have long complained that the pollution is negatively impacting their health.
Associated Press | March 23, 2023
“The Environmental Protection Agency is urging Oregon to clean up water contamination from nitrates in the eastern part of the state, warning it could step in under the Safe Drinking Water Act in the absence of sufficient local action.
It’s been three decades since state agencies first noted high levels of nitrate contamination in the groundwater in Morrow and Umatilla counties, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, and residents have long complained that the pollution is negatively impacting their health.”
“Oregon Health Authority unveils long-awaited water testing program in Morrow, Umatilla counties”
The Oregon Health Authority has launched a program to provide free water testing for Morrow and Umatilla county residents who rely on water from potentially contaminated wells.
The program, unveiled Wednesday, marks the first testing program by the state in the two counties and follows criticism of the health authority for being slow to respond to the drinking water contamination. An aquifer that has been contaminated with nitrates from animal manure, food processing and farm fertilizers for more than three decades is the main water source in the area for those who rely on wells.
By Alex Baumhardt | Oregon Capital Chronicle | March 23, 2023
“The Oregon Health Authority has launched a program to provide free water testing for Morrow and Umatilla county residents who rely on water from potentially contaminated wells.
The program, unveiled Wednesday, marks the first testing program by the state in the two counties and follows criticism of the health authority for being slow to respond to the drinking water contamination. An aquifer that has been contaminated with nitrates from animal manure, food processing and farm fertilizers for more than three decades is the main water source in the area for those who rely on wells.”
“‘We’re not going away.’ EPA pressures Oregon to clean up groundwater pollution”
The Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator is warning Oregon government agencies that federal authorities will take action if the state doesn’t quickly address nitrate contamination cleanup in Eastern Oregon.
EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller on Monday met with local nonprofit Oregon Rural Action, representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and more than 30 residents from Morrow and Umatilla counties to hear firsthand how nitrate contamination in the area continues to affect their lives.
The meeting marked the first time a regional administrator from the agency has visited the region over nitrate pollution concerns.
By Monica Samayoa | OPB | March 22, 2023
“The EPA can step in and require the state to clean up pollution under the Safe Drinking Water Act
The Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator is warning Oregon government agencies that federal authorities will take action if the state doesn’t quickly address nitrate contamination cleanup in Eastern Oregon.
EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller on Monday met with local nonprofit Oregon Rural Action, representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and more than 30 residents from Morrow and Umatilla counties to hear firsthand how nitrate contamination in the area continues to affect their lives.
The meeting marked the first time a regional administrator from the agency has visited the region over nitrate pollution concerns.”
“Nitrate testing continues in rural NE Oregon”
The West Glen neighborhood lies along a gravel road stretching beyond the city limits of Boardman, Ore.
By George Plaven | Capital Press | March 16, 2023
“The West Glen neighborhood lies along a gravel road stretching beyond the city limits of Boardman, Ore.
Mike Pearson, a retired construction worker and longtime resident, pulled up to a neighbor’s house in his white pickup truck on March 11. He was joined by Nella Mae Parks, a senior organizer with the nonprofit Oregon Rural Action, as they and other community volunteers went door-to-door offering free water tests.
For decades, this region along the Columbia River in northeast Oregon has been struggling with elevated levels of groundwater nitrates — a colorless, odorless and tasteless compound that can pose serious health risks if consumed in excess.”
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“Morrow and Umatilla County residents still contending with contaminated water” — Think Out Loud
We talk to Paulo Lopez and Ana Maria Rodriguez, both residents of Boardman, about what contamination actually means for them on a daily basis.
By Sage Van Wing | OPB - Think Out Loud | February 27, 2023
“People in Morrow and Umatilla counties have faced nitrate pollution in their drinking water for decades. Last year Morrow County declared an emergency and began distributing clean water and filters, but that order ended in January. The Environmental Protection Agency sent a strongly worded letter to the state encouraging it to take more action against polluters, but the Oregon Health Authority still hasn’t tested any residential wells. We talk to Paulo Lopez and Ana Maria Rodriguez, both residents of Boardman, about what contamination actually means for them on a daily basis.”
“Oregon water audit long on plans, short on enforcement”
Secretary of State’s Office suggests better planning and communication to deal with dwindling and contaminated groundwater
By Antonio Sierra | OPB | January 26, 2023
“An Oregon Secretary of State’s Office audit released on Thursday painted a dire picture of the state’s water management system, but its authors frequently stopped short of blaming the agencies in charge of distributing and regulating one of Oregon’s most precious resources.
The audit was subtitled, “State Leadership Must Take Action to Protect Water Security for All Oregonians,” but it fails to mention major industries that have had deleterious effects on the state’s water supplies, including agriculture and developers. The actions suggested by the audit were less direct than the solutions offered by the communities affected by drought, who were more likely to identify the sources of Oregon’s water problems and where the agencies in charge of regulating them were falling short.”
“Oregon has failed to address its water security crisis, government report finds”
An audit by the Secretary of State’s Office found divided authority on the issue, with the involvement of three departments, and a lack of funding and cooperation.
By Alex Baumhardt | Oregon Capital Chronicle | January 26, 2023
“Across Oregon, the future of water quality and quantity is in jeopardy, a state report said.
The 70-page advisory report released Thursday is a call to action for Gov. Tina Kotek, the state Legislature and state agencies, according to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. She said they all need to agree about water conservation priorities, roles and responsibilities.
“We need a damn water plan,” she said at a news conference Thursday. “Far too many families lack access to clean water today, and many communities in Oregon are at high risk of becoming water insecure in the very near future. So I’ll say it again, this is a crisis.””
“Report: Oregon needs better water management plan”
“Communities across Oregon can’t access reliable clean water and the state doesn’t have a coordinated plan to address the problem, according to an advisory report from Secretary of State Shemia Fagan.”
By Gosia Wozniacka | The Oregonian | January 26, 2023
“Communities across Oregon can’t access reliable clean water and the state doesn’t have a coordinated plan to address the problem, according to an advisory report from Secretary of State Shemia Fagan.”
”Another challenge is that community input isn’t considered in water decisions – many residents are unaware there’s a problem with their water, according to the report.”
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“Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley tour reveals Morrow County residents’ frustration with groundwater inaction”
By Antonio Sierra | OPB | January 21, 2023
“As U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley peered underneath a sink belonging to Mike Pearson, the Morrow County local told him that the reverse osmosis filter provided by the county still wasn’t getting enough nitrates out of his drinking water to make it safe.
“I had one in, we tested it,” Pearson said. “And if I remember right, the best we could get is 12. And then when I put this new one in, it’s 26.1.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains that any nitrate concentration above 10 parts per million is unsafe to drink.”
“Oregon Health Authority slow to help thousands in northeast Oregon with polluted drinking water”
The federal Environmental Protection Agency remains ready to intervene should the state fail to ensure safe drinking water in northeast Oregon.
By Alex Baumhardt | Oregon Capital Chronicle | January 17, 2023
Morrow County residents meet with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley about nitrate contamination in their water. They hold up signs showing the nitrate levels in their water. A report from the Secretary of State’s Office found Oregon agencies in charge of ensuring water quality and quantity are understaffed, underfunded and lack coordination and planning for the future, compromising the state’s water security. (Courtesy of Oregon Rural Action)
“Three years ago, eight environmental groups asked the federal Environmental Protection Agency to do something about nitrate contamination in drinking water in northeast Oregon.
In a Jan. 16, 2020 petition, they said that for more than 30 years the state had failed to stop nitrate pollution from farm fertilizers, animal manure and industrial wastewater from polluting an aquifer that thousands of people in Morrow and Umatilla counties depend on for drinking water.
“Oregon officials have effectively abandoned their responsibility to protect Oregon’s citizens,” they wrote in the 32-page document.
Today, little has changed for these residents, many of whom are low-income and Latino. Hundreds have contaminated wells with water unsafe to drink while the lead state agency assigned to fixing the issue, the Oregon Health Authority, has been slow to act. ”