Reused wastewater is at the center of residents’ latest complaint against industry giants.
Port of Morrow’s East Beach Facility in Boardman, Oregon, on April 15, 2022.
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Monica Samayoa / OPB
The legal team behind a lawsuit against some of Eastern Oregon’s biggest agricultural businesses is headed back to court with a new case over drinking water pollution.
On Friday, the attorneys filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of four Lower Umatilla Basin residents.
The complaint accuses Portland General Electric and Columbia River Processing, a Morrow County subsidiary of Tillamook Creamery, of polluting the basin’s groundwater by sending nitrate-rich wastewater to the Port of Morrow.
The port delivers the wastewater to farms that reuse it to fertilize fields.
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The Dec. 5 complaint comes on the heels of a 2024 lawsuit accusing the port, as well as several farms and food processors, of polluting the basin’s groundwater.
“We believe Portland General Electric and Tillamook need to do right by their Oregon communities and cease all practices contributing to this contamination,” according to a statement from Steve Berman, a lead attorney for the residents.
A representative from PGE declined to comment. Tillamook Creamery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nitrates are chemicals often found in fertilizers and wastewater. Consuming large quantities of nitrates can lead to illnesses like cancer and kidney disease. Babies and pregnant parents are especially vulnerable.
The state has known about Eastern Oregon’s problem with nitrate pollution for more than 35 years.
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Oregon declared parts of western Umatilla County and northern Morrow County, the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area in 1990, but nitrate levels have only risen since then.
Studies have shown that the largest contributor to nitrate pollution is irrigated agriculture, which often uses fertilizer and wastewater to maximize crop yields. Excess nitrates then seep through the soil and groundwater. Food processors and livestock farms are also contributors.
The lawsuit argues that PGE’s Coyote Springs power plant and Columbia River Processing were significant polluters.
The lawsuit states that all four of the plaintiffs were harmed because they lived near farms that used PGE and Tillamook’s wastewater to fertilize crops.
Private wells, which many basin residents who live outside cities rely on for water, are especially at risk for nitrate pollution because they’re not subject to the same water quality standards as municipal systems.
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Two of the plaintiffs, Michael Pearson, who is also a part of the lawsuit filed last year, and Jeffrey Fleming, are on private wells.
But the other two plaintiffs, Rosa Cavasos of Boardman and Jon Haley of Irrigon, rely on their cities for their drinking water.
The lawsuit states that both started buying bottled water after learning about local nitrate pollution. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has labeled both Boardman and Irrigon’s water systems as having “substantial nitrate risk” because of elevated levels found in the cities’ supplies.
Should a jury ultimately side with basin residents, it could require action from PGE and Tillamook, in addition to financial compensation.
The lawsuit is also seeking to certify well water owners and municipal water customers as classes that could later join the other plaintiffs, a move that could potentially add thousands more people to the lawsuit.
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Although efforts are already underway to connect basin residents with clean water, the complaint asks the court to make the companies cover the costs of connecting residents to municipal water systems or digging deeper wells.
The companies would also be required to create a medical monitoring program for residents on private wells.
The basin residents filed their complaint as the 2024 lawsuit continues to wind its way through the court system.
The businesses in that case tried to get the complaint dismissed by arguing that federal courts don’t have jurisdiction over nitrate regulation. They claimed that authority belongs with state agencies like DEQ and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
In March, a federal judge in Pendleton allowed the lawsuit to proceed and referred it to a federal court in Portland.
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OREGON (KTVZ) — Oregon work zones experienced a five-year high in crashes in 2024 with 621 incidents reported, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). These crashes resulted in 14 lives lost and 36 serious injuries. All individuals who suffered serious injuries or died in Oregon work zones in 2024 were drivers or their
BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
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In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
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In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
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“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.
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With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.
Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.
Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.
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More About Darius Johnson
Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the Rose Bowl head coaches press conference at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.
The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.
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What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.
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Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
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