Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over northeast Oregon nitrate pollution - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Amazon has agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle a lawsuit concerning nitrate-contaminated groundwater in northeast Oregon, specifically impacting residents in Morrow and Umatilla counties. The tech giant, one of 17 defendants in the case Pearson v. Port of Morrow, was accused by several residents of contributing to the widespread pollution that has rendered their well water undrinkable. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in February 2024, alleges that nitrogen-rich wastewater, a byproduct of industrial food processors and data centers at the Port of Morrow, was overapplied to area farms, leading to the contamination. Amazon, which uses the nitrate-loaded wastewater to cool its data center servers, denies contributing to the decades-old groundwater issues but chose to settle to avoid a lengthy legal process and focus on community support. The settlement, announced by lawyers for the plaintiffs, is a step towards resolving the issue, though the legal battle continues against other defendants including Lamb Weston, Madison Ranches, Threemile Canyon Farms, Beef Northwest, Portland General Electric, and Columbia River Processing. Plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for the case, potentially bringing in thousands more affected residents. The broader lawsuit also demands court-ordered groundwater remediation, cleanup programs, and health monitoring for exposed residents. This contamination has been a known issue for decades, with the Morrow County Commission declaring an emergency nearly two years ago and Gov. Tina Kotek promising action in 2023. The Oregon Health Authority has found hundreds of wells with unsafe nitrate levels. Local advocacy group Oregon Rural Action, which helped residents test their wells, welcomed Amazon's settlement as a "first step" for corporate accountability, urging the company to slow expansion and invest in wastewater treatment.