Industrial farming is contaminating an aquifer that eastern Oregon residents rely on. For over 30 years, state agencies have done little more than wring their hands.
HERMISTON, Ore. — As many as 12,000 people in eastern Oregon are in danger of drinking polluted water, drawn up from beneath the Lower Umatilla Basin through private wells. The groundwater used to be safe for humans, but heavy commercial farming and food production have caused nitrates to leach into the aquifer below the basin, building up to dangerous levels over time.
Nitrates in high concentrations may cause miscarriages, thyroid disorders and cancer. They can’t be detected by sight or
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