<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=22XTkk_1E9bbzc500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=22XTkk_1E9bbzc500" width="1000" height="667" ><figcaption>Residents of Umatilla and Morrow counties gather April 18, 2024, to ask questions and voice their concerns on groundwater contamination at a public meeting in Boardman. (East Oregonian/File)</figcaption></figure>PENDLETON — An Eastern Oregon ranch has agreed to a $6.2 million settlement in the class action lawsuit alleging nitrate groundwater contamination in Umatilla and Morrow counties.The law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, of Seattle, and its co-counsel, Bliven Law Firm and Heenan &amp; Cook, representing the plaintiffs in the case, announced in a statement Tuesday, Aug. 11, that Madison Ranches Inc. reached an agreement resolving legal claims relating to the Lower Umatilla Basin Ground Water Management Area.The lawsuit accuses the Port of Morrow, Lamb Weston Holdings Inc., Madison Ranches Inc., Threemile Canyon Farms LLC, Portland General Electric Co. and Columbia River Processing LLC of generating nitrogen-polluted runoff, which renders tap water unsafe to drink for upward of 45,000 residents in Eastern Oregon. Nitrate contamination can lead to serious health problems, especially for children.Under the agreement, Madison Ranches will pay $6.2 million into a settlement fund and will continue using numerous best practices in the management of water it receives from the Port of Morrow and others. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs negotiated the settlement on their behalf, according to the announcement. The settlement brings an end to contested litigation with Madison Ranches, but other defendants remain.Steve Berman, managing partner and founder of Hagens Berman and co-counsel for the proposed class of plaintiffs, expressed appreciation for Madison Ranches’ agreeing to the settlement.“Rather than fighting about who made the mess, Madison Ranches stepped up to help address the nitrate pollution problem. But our work is not over,” Berman said in the statement. “We will continue to prosecute the case against the other defendants who have deeper pockets — the Port of Morrow, Lamb Weston, Threemile Canyon Farms, Portland General Electric and Columbia River Processing.”Under the settlement, Madison Ranches has committed to continue using specific farming practices that are proven to contain nitrate/nitrogen applications, including conducting preplant soil nitrogen/nitrate testing, measuring all irrigation applied to its fields and engaging in robust crop rotation.“These practices we have been employing go far beyond customary fertility management in this region, and provide us with near real-time data to make in-season changes and season-to-season changes in how we manage our fertility program,” according to Jake Madison, president of Madison Ranches. “We encourage leadership at the state, regional, and department levels to start making understanding and solving this problem a top priority. Three decades is too long to have been battling this issue. Science exists to fully understand this issue and develop targeted solutions for each region. We need to employ science and reason that spur the right actions.”Madison added the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality recognized the nitrate problem when he was in grade school. The DEQ in 1990 established the Lower Umatilla Basin Ground Water Management Area to address elevated nitrate levels in drinking water. The LUBGWMA covers 562 square miles in northern Morrow and Umatilla counties and is home to approximately 45,000 residents, including thousands with private wells.“We have been involved in trying to find solutions to this issue for decades, and rather than continue to litigate, we chose to put our resources towards a solution,” Madison said in the announcement.The money will be put into a settlement fund to assist homeowners and others in obtaining property enhancements, including deeper wells, water filtration systems and funds to pay water bills for residents who connect to city water systems.According to the law firms, residents do not need to take any action at this time. If the court grants preliminary approval of the settlement, a court-appointed settlement administrator will establish, and eligible residents will be notified with further information.</div></body>

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PENDLETON — An Eastern Oregon ranch has agreed to a $6.2 million settlement in the class action lawsuit alleging nitrate groundwater contamination in Umatilla and Morrow counties. The law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, of Seattle, and its co-counsel, Bliven Law Firm and Heenan & Cook, representing...

E. Oregon ranch agrees to $6.2M settlement in contamination case

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PENDLETON — An Eastern Oregon ranch has agreed to a $6.2 million settlement in the class action lawsuit alleging nitrate groundwater contamination in Umati

E. Oregon ranch agrees to $6.2M settlement in contamination case

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