Federal Judge Allows Class Action Over Eastern Oregon Water Pollution to Proceed, Impacting Thousands
A federal judge has ruled that a class action lawsuit concerning water pollution in Eastern Oregon can proceed. The lawsuit, filed by several Morrow County residents, targets the Port of Morrow and several large food processors for allegedly contaminating groundwater with nitrate-laden wastewater. The plaintiffs claim that the water, used in a supposed beneficial reuse program, was over-applied to farmland, resulting in toxic pollution. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon denied a motion to dismiss the case, allowing it to potentially include thousands of affected residents. The lawsuit, originally filed in February 2024, has expanded to a class action that could involve up to 45,000 residents from Morrow and Umatilla counties. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. 
