Oregon

Oregon bill would ban new livestock farms in state’s most polluted areas

Published

1 year ago

January 27, 2025

Oregon bill would ban new livestock farms in state’s most polluted areas

The biggest livestock farms would be prohibited from building or expanding in some of Oregon’s most polluted groundwater regions, under a proposed bill backed by environmental groups.

Those groups say it will keep nitrate pollution from getting worse in communities that rely on well water for drinking.

A coalition of environmental and sustainable farming advocacy groups is backing Senate Bill 80. Stand Up to Factory Farms argues Oregon should stop permitting new or expanding dairy farms and other big livestock farms from seeking a confined animal feeding operation, or CAFO, permit, in all of Oregon’s three groundwater management areas.

Those are areas with high levels of nitrate pollution in groundwater, and are designated by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Farm lobbying groups in the past have opposed attempts at a ban. They have argued it puts more unnecessary burdens on an industry they say is already over regulated.

An aerial image supplied by Food and WaterWatch shows a manure lagoon at Six Mile Dairy, a farm permitted for up to 36,000 cows in Morrow County, July 25, 2025.

Aimee Stone / Food and WaterWatch

It’s a move environmental groups say is common sense, especially in the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area, where nitrate pollution has been a known problem for the last 30 years, and where recent reports show it has become worse over the past decade. Nitrates can cause cancer and other illnesses if consumed in high quantities, and they’re especially harmful to infants.

Studies point to local large dairy and cattle farms, wastewater from food processing facilities, and farmers applying liquid manure as fertilizer to irrigated fields as the leading sources of pollution in the area.

“Our thought is, why make the problem worse when we can say, ‘Let’s not expand, let’s not add any more livestock to these areas,’” said Amy van Saun, a senior attorney at the Center for Food Safety’s Portland office, and a member of Stand Up to Factory Farms. “Because as strict as a permit may be, it’s only as good as whether it’s followed or enforced. And the problem we see is that the state still seems like they will always say yes to these operations as long as they’ve checked all the boxes.”

This is at least the third attempt at a CAFO moratorium in Oregon. The last time, during the 2023 state legislative session, plans for a ban were scrapped by legislators following heated debate over the impact the law would have on Oregon’s livestock farms. Instead, they passed Senate Bill 85, a reform package that included stricter water use and construction requirements for CAFO facilities.

Michele Okoh, a law professor specializing in environmental justice at Lewis and Clark College, said that, while stopping mega-dairies and other large livestock farms from being built does keep pollution from getting worse, it can be easy for operators to find loopholes.

She said producers could just operate smaller farms. So instead of having one large farm with 30,000 dairy cows, they can operate 10 farms with 3,000 cows. She points to North Carolina, a state that passed a swine farm moratorium in 2007, yet the number of CAFOs has ballooned in recent years.

She added that, for communities like the ones in northern Morrow and northwest Umatilla counties to see a change in the level of pollution in their groundwater, state agencies need to step in.

“There needs to be more monitoring and education for well owners,” she said. “Because at the end of the day, if you find the contamination and you can’t do very much about it, then you can’t protect your own health. So what is the value of knowing there’s contamination, but you don’t have options?”

Last year, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek laid out plans to reduce nitrate pollution in that area, but progress has been slow.

Van Saun said while the proposed SB89 is not a cure for the problem, it will at least help it from getting worse while groups work toward regulatory solutions.

“We really need action to stop pollution at the sources, and so preventing new sources of pollution allows us a little bit more time to address those existing sources rather than continuing to pile on,” van Saun said.

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Related Topics:Farming | Livestock | Oregon Legislature | Environment Featured

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Oregon

Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue

At times, the Oregon women’s basketball team has certainly made things much harder on themselves than it needs to be. The team has also produced some miraculous comeback victories, putting itself in position to make women’s March Madness for the second straight season.

March 1, in their final regular season game, the Ducks (20-11, 8-10 Big Ten) finished on the wrong end of yet another tight game to Washington, 70-69. It’s the second time this season Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, but ended up losing to the Huskies (20-9, 10-8).

Those aren’t the only times Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, like it did in wins vs. Nebraska and USC. The No. 11-seed Ducks are hoping they won’t need heroics in a Big Ten tournament first-round game against No. 14 Purdue this Wednesday.

Watch Oregon basketball on Peacock

“I think our biggest weakness this year has been our inconsistency,” coach Kelly Graves said, “something we’ve battled all year. The great thing is our kids know, regardless of the score, we’ve got a chance. We’ll make it a game at some point. As a coach, it drives you nuts. Hopefully we can figure it out and play more consistent basketball.”

Oregon’s volatility has seen it earn three double-digit comeback wins this year, but also blow several games in the final moments.

Against Wisconsin, the Ducks held a 6-point lead with less than a minute remaining, but lost in overtime. Against Illinois, Oregon held a 21-point lead at halftime, blew it in the third quarter, trailed by eight with minutes to play and somehow eked out a win.

That makes UO somewhat of a wild card heading into the conference tournament this week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“It’s definitely (been) a rollercoaster,” guard Katie Fiso said. “A lot of highs and a lot of lows. But one thing that I try to see through all games is our grittiness and our toughness. One thing that stays consistent throughout the season is our toughness and our grittiness. The game isn’t over until the last bell rings.”

The Ducks will be taking on a Boilermakers (13-16, 5-13) team that has struggled against most of the top competition in the league, but played Oregon tight in a Feb. 25 Ducks win.

Graves said when the Ducks went throughout the postgame handshake line after, the Boilermakers felt like their season would end after the regular season. Thanks to some upsets, Purdue is in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 14 seed.

“We’re playing a team that probably feels like it’s playing with house money,” Graves said. “We’ve got to pick ourselves back up and get it done.”

What channel is Oregon vs. Purdue on today in Big Ten tournament?

Oregon will tip off vs. Purdue on Peacock, with no TV option to watch the game.

Oregon vs. Purdue start time in Big Ten tournament

Date: Wednesday, March 4
Time: Around 5:30 p.m. PT

Oregon and Purdue will play around 5:30 p.m. PT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The first game of the day begins at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the next game 25 minutes after the first game ends, and so on. The Ducks play in the third game of the day, so no official tip time is listed.

Oregon women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Below are the past five games of Oregon’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

Feb. 15	Washington 51, Oregon 43
Feb. 19	Oregon 80, Nebraska 76
Feb. 22	Indiana 72, Oregon 65
Feb. 25	Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1	Washington 70, Oregon 69
March 4	Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)

Purdue women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Below are the past five games of Purdue’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

Feb. 14	Purdue 72, Rutgers 57
Feb. 19	Iowa 83, Purdue 74
Feb. 22	Maryland 99, Purdue 66
Feb. 25	Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1	Purdue 67, Northwestern 62
March 4	Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com.

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Oregon

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Published

22 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Written by Alma McCarty & KGW:

SALEM, Oregon — In the final week of Oregon’s legislative short session, lawmakers in Salem discussed regulating data centers — specifically, placing a one-year moratorium on certain tax breaks.

Governor Tina Kotek has been looking to expand the state’s enterprise zone program, which is intended to grow Oregon companies and attract new ones. Businesses that locate or expand within designated zones can qualify for property tax exemptions on new investments if they meet eligibility requirements.

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

“Data centers have been around for a while,” said Kelly Campbell, policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper. “Data centers are getting bigger and bigger. Some of these new AI hyperscale data centers are exponentially bigger than those tiny ones. They’re really just using a lot of energy, a lot of water.”

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

Last week, Columbia Riverkeeper released a report examining data centers operating or planned along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

“I think the question becomes, do we want to stick to our climate goals of getting to 100% renewable? Or do we want to have these big, mega data centers owned by big tech companies — some of the wealthiest corporations in the world — getting to use whatever energy they want? We would say, no, that’s not OK,” Campbell said.

On Monday, lawmakers amended an economic incentives bill to block new data centers from qualifying for certain tax breaks for one year.

“I think this moratorium is a pretty short pause to give the advisory council time and space to do their work,” said Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, during a subcommittee meeting Monday morning.

The Data Center Advisory Committee, convened by Kotek, held its first meeting Friday. The group’s goal is to develop policy recommendations addressing the rapid growth of data centers.

“There are some businesses that will need them, but freestanding data centers, the way we’ve been growing in the state, is not sustainable,” the Governor told reporters during a press conference last week.

On Monday, her office sent KGW a statement regarding the moratorium:

“The moratorium will address immediate concerns and also allow for the Governor’s Data Center Advisory Committee to develop recommendations to strategically pursue economic development opportunities while ensuring utility costs, infrastructure investments, and environmental impacts remain sustainable and equitable for all residents.”

Supporters of data center growth, particularly in rural communities, also spoke during work sessions.

“This moratorium will have a disparate impact on communities east of the Cascades — communities like Prineville, Hermiston and Redmond that have leveraged enterprise zones and data centers to bring hundreds of living-wage jobs to their communities,” said Alexandra Ring, a lobbyist for the League of Oregon Cities.

“While data centers may be seen as a nuisance or inconvenient in Washington County, they are not in Crook County. They are not in Morrow County, in Umatilla County,” said Sen. Mark McLane, who represents several Eastern Oregon counties, including Baker, Crook, Grant and Harney.

Even if the House and Senate ultimately approve the moratorium, it would apply only to new data centers — not those that already receive tax breaks or projects currently underway.

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Oregon

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A member of Oregon’s Iranian community on Monday reacted to American and Israeli strikes in his home country and the death of Iran’s supreme leader over the weekend.

That reaction came as the conflict in the Middle East expanded into a third day. President Donald Trump indicated it could go on for several weeks.

Amin Yousefimalakabad says right now he is concerned about his family, who he says lives near military bases in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

He described businesses with shattered windows and explosions near his family’s home.

At the same time, Yousefimalakabad says he felt relief learning about the killing of the ayatollah.

He says he fled Iran four years ago after facing political persecution.

“I used to be a political prisoner in Iran. I got arrested in one of the protests that happened in Iran, and I was under torture for two weeks,” he said in an interview with KATU News. “They put me in prison for six months. I had, even when I was thinking about those days, it made my body shake from inside because I didn’t deserve that. I just wanted the first things that I can have in a foreign country like America in my country. I wanted freedom. I wanted to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, to choose who I want to be.”

Meanwhile, Yousefimalakabad says he still can’t return to Iran, fearing he would be punished for his Christian beliefs and says although the regime could change, the ideology in Iran might not.

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