Amazon settles Oregon data center pollution lawsuit for $20.5m

Amazon Data Services, Inc. has reached a $20.5 million settlement in a lawsuit concerning nitrate pollution in eastern Oregon, as reported by the community advocacy group Oregon Rural Action. Kristin Anderson Ostrom, executive director of Oregon Rural Action, stated that while it's a first step, the settlement does not address the full scope of harm from nearly four decades of toxic drinking water in the region. She emphasized that the environmental and public health crisis is ongoing. The settlement comes as Amazon plans to construct what is described as Oregon’s largest data center, an “exascale” facility that will significantly increase its presence in the already polluted area. Oregon Rural Action expressed concern over this expansion coinciding with the unresolved environmental issues. While Amazon has settled its portion, other entities, including the Port of Morrow, Lamb Weston, Madison Ranches, Threemile Canyon Farms, Portland General Electric, and Columbia River Processing, are still involved in a class-action lawsuit, Pearson v Port of Morrow. This broader lawsuit alleges these defendants contributed to groundwater contamination with nitrates, causing widespread harm to local residents.