Morrow County residents in northeast Oregon Well Water Has Been Poisoned for Decades. Now Amazon Is Paying $20.5 Million — and the Lawsuit Isn’t Over.

Morrow County residents in northeast Oregon have been drinking nitrate-contaminated well water for years — in some cases at levels nearly ten times the federal safety limit. In February 2024, a group of affected homeowners filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Amazon and 16 other defendants, alleging their industrial operations at the Port of Morrow contributed to the contamination. On March 31, 2026, Amazon agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle the claims against it — while denying any responsibility. The lawsuit continues against the remaining defendants, and class action certification covering all affected Morrow and Umatilla County residents has not yet been granted.

Field	Detail
Amazon Settlement Amount	$20,500,000
Claim Deadline	TBD — no claim process open yet
Who Could Qualify	Owners and renters in affected Morrow and Umatilla County areas
Payout Per Person	TBD
Proof Required	TBD
Settlement Status	Amazon partial settlement announced; class certification pending; case ongoing
Administrator	TBD
Official Website	TBD

Where things stand: Amazon’s $20.5 million settlement is with the named plaintiffs only at this stage. Plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Berman stated that litigation will continue against the Port of Morrow and the other remaining defendants, including Lamb Weston, Madison Ranches, Threemile Canyon Farms, Beef Northwest, Portland General Electric, and Columbia River Processing. The court has not yet certified a class, and no distribution process for affected residents has been announced. Morrow County residents should monitor the case for updates.

Your Well Water, Amazon’s Data Centers, and a Decade-Long Cover-Up at the Port of Morrow

To understand why Amazon is paying $20.5 million, you need to understand how water moves through one of the most industrialized corners of Oregon.

The Port of Morrow collects fertilizer-laden wastewater from industrial food processors and data centers operating at the port, then routes that wastewater to area farms, where it is spread across fields as irrigation. That process, which a Oregon Capital Chronicle investigation found was overapplied in winter months for years, allowed excess nitrate to seep into the groundwater that well-users in the area depend on for drinking water.

Amazon’s role is specific: the nitrate-loaded wastewater ends up at Amazon’s data center facilities at the port, where it is used to cool computer servers running around the clock. As the water heats up and evaporates in the cooling process, the concentration of nitrate in the remaining water rises further before that water is then applied to nearby farm fields.

The plaintiffs — Michael Pearson, Michael and Virginia Brandt, and James and Silvia Suter — discovered their wells were contaminated years after the fact. One plaintiff told Oregon Governor Tina Kotek at a 2023 community meeting in Boardman that he had been drinking his well water for 30 years, unaware until 2022 that it contained more than four times the safe nitrate limit set by federal authorities. When residents looked into replacing their wells, they found the cost to drill deep enough to reach cleaner water ran approximately $24,000 per household.

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This contamination is not new. The Morrow County Commission declared an emergency over the water contamination — and that emergency declaration itself came more than 30 years after the state of Oregon first acknowledged the area’s water supply needed to be cleaned up.

Amazon Says It Didn’t Cause This. The Plaintiffs Say the Data Is in the Water.

Amazon’s position is straightforward denial. Company spokesperson Kylee Yonas said communities in eastern Oregon have faced groundwater quality issues for decades — long before Amazon opened its data centers — and that the company chose to settle early to focus its resources on supporting the community rather than on extended litigation.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys see it differently. Lead attorney Steve Berman described the $20.5 million as a “first step” toward corporate accountability, and said the parties that contributed to the problem have a responsibility to come forward and help resolve it.

Community advocates want more than a check. Oregon Rural Action organizer Nella Parks said the settlement represents a first step, but urged Amazon to slow its expansion in the region and invest in treating its wastewater so no further harm is done.

The full lawsuit goes far beyond compensation. Plaintiffs seek a court order requiring defendants to establish a state-backed groundwater remediation and cleanup program, a health monitoring program for exposed residents, and timely diagnosis and treatment of any illnesses caused by the contamination.

Who Could Eventually Be Covered — and What We Don’t Know Yet

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of specific named plaintiffs and seeks class action status on behalf of a much larger group. The plaintiffs are seeking class action certification on behalf of all affected residents in Morrow and Umatilla counties who own or rent their homes, which could bring tens of thousands of additional plaintiffs into the suit.

That certification has not happened yet. Until a court grants it, there is no certified class, no claim form, and no distribution process. Residents who believe they may be affected should:

• You may potentially qualify if you own or rent a home in the affected areas of Morrow or Umatilla County in northeast Oregon.
• You may potentially qualify if your domestic well has tested positive for elevated or unsafe nitrate levels.
• You may potentially qualify if you have lived in the affected area and relied on well water during the period of contamination.
• You should not pay anyone to file a claim on your behalf at this stage — no official claim process currently exists.

To stay informed, residents can contact Oregon Rural Action, the nonprofit that has been central to community organizing and well testing in the region, or monitor filings in Pearson v. Port of Morrow through the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon’s PACER system.

What the Health Risks Actually Are — and How Widespread the Problem Is

The nitrate contamination in Morrow and Umatilla counties is not a technicality. The health consequences of long-term nitrate exposure are well documented.

The Oregon Health Authority found since 2024 that at least 634 domestic drinking water wells in the area contain unsafe levels of nitrate, with some showing levels nearly ten times the federal limit for safe drinking water, and more than 420 wells show elevated levels that could lead to long-term health problems.

Nitrate at elevated concentrations reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen — a condition known as methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” which is particularly dangerous for infants under six months old. In adults, chronic overexposure is associated with thyroid disease and certain cancers. Many of the families living in the affected areas are low-income and Latino, with limited resources to find alternative water sources.

The Timeline: Thirty Years of Known Contamination, Two Years of Active Litigation

Milestone	Date
State of Oregon first acknowledges water contamination need	~1990s
Morrow County Commission declares emergency	2022
Gov. Kotek visits Boardman, promises action	April 2023
Pearson v. Port of Morrow filed in U.S. District Court	February 2024
Oregon Health Authority confirms 634+ contaminated wells	2024–2025
Amazon partial settlement announced	March 31, 2026
Class certification hearing	TBD
Claim process opens for residents	TBD — pending class certification and further settlements
Expected payment to residents	TBD

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a claim form I can fill out right now?

 No. Amazon’s $20.5 million settlement was announced on March 31, 2026, but no claim process for individual residents has opened. The court has not yet certified a class. Until certification is granted and a distribution plan is approved, there is no form to file. Monitor the case docket and Oregon Rural Action’s communications for updates.

I live in Morrow or Umatilla County and my well has tested positive for nitrates. What should I do now? 

Document everything. Keep records of any well test results, medical appointments, water filter purchases, bottled water costs, and any communication with state agencies about your water. This documentation will matter if and when a claim process opens. Contact Oregon Rural Action for information on free well testing and community resources.

Does this settlement mean Amazon is responsible for contaminating the water?

 No. Amazon settled to avoid continued litigation and explicitly denies any responsibility for the groundwater contamination. Settling a lawsuit does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing under U.S. law.

Will the lawsuit continue against the other companies?

 Yes. Amazon is only one of 17 defendants. The case continues against the Port of Morrow and other named defendants including food processors and agricultural operations. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have stated publicly they intend to continue prosecuting those claims.

Do I need a lawyer to eventually participate in this settlement? 

Once a class is certified and a claim process opens, class members typically do not need individual lawyers to submit claims — class counsel represents the group. However, if you believe your individual damages are significant or unique, consulting a personal attorney may be worthwhile. Do not pay anyone upfront to join a class action.

Is this settlement legitimate? 

Yes. The case Pearson v. Port of Morrow is filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. The Oregon Capital Chronicle, which broke much of the original investigative reporting on this contamination, confirmed the settlement on March 31, 2026. The plaintiffs are represented by Steve Berman of Hagens Berman, a nationally recognized class action firm.

What does “class action certification” mean and why does it matter?

 Class certification is the court’s formal approval of treating a lawsuit as representing a group — or “class” — of affected people rather than just the named plaintiffs. Without it, only the named plaintiffs (Pearson, Brandt, and Suter families) are parties to the case. With it, potentially tens of thousands of Morrow and Umatilla County residents become covered. The court has not yet certified this class, which is why no claim process exists yet.

Sources & References

• Oregon Capital Chronicle original reporting and settlement announcement: oregoncapitalchronicle.com
• Oregon Rural Action (community advocacy and well testing): oregonruralaction.org
• Oregon Health Authority drinking water resources: oregon.gov/oha
• Courthouse News Service coverage: courthousenews.com

Last Updated: April 1, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.