Amazon to pay $20M to aid Morrow County's nitrate-contaminated water crisis

Amazon has pledged more than $20.5 million to assist homeowners in Morrow County, Oregon, who are affected by nitrate-contaminated well water. This settlement resolves Amazon's role in a lawsuit initiated by local residents in February 2024, which initially targeted the Port of Morrow and expanded to include 17 defendants, predominantly agricultural and food processing operations. Jim Doherty, a cattle rancher in Boardman, highlights that thousands of local wells exceed the federal limit for nitrates, reaching dangerously high levels that residents link to illnesses like kidney failure and miscarriages. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon Data Services' data centers in Boardman, which use significant amounts of water for cooling, concentrate nitrates as pure water evaporates. This concentrated water is then allegedly channeled into open-air canals or sprayed onto farmland by the Port of Morrow. Amazon, however, disputes these claims, asserting that groundwater quality issues in Eastern Oregon predated their data centers. A spokesperson stated that Amazon does not add nitrates to the water and that the water they return constitutes a very small fraction of the region’s overall system, drawing from the same supply as other residents. Despite Amazon's denial of responsibility, the company's settlement aims to support private wells and public infrastructure projects to improve access to clean water in the region. Steve Berman, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, expressed appreciation for Amazon's step but emphasized that the broader effort to address nitrate pollution is far from over. The lawsuit is continuing against other defendants, including Lamb Weston, Madison Ranches, Threemile Canyon Farms, Portland General Electric, and Columbia River Processing.