HERMISTON
HERALD
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Oregon DEQ
raises Port
of Morrow
fine to over
$2.1 million
Local businesses offer help
at Boardman Foods to deal
with groundwater emergency
Hermiston Herald
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
has increased the penalty against the Port of Mor-
row from $1.3 million to a little more than $2.1
million.
State environmental regulators levied the initial
fines in January, accusing the port of excessively
spreading nitrogen-rich wastewater as fertilizer
on area farmland for years. DEQ announced in a
statement Friday, June 17, the additional $800,000
is “for additional violations involving over appli-
cation of wastewater containing nitrogen to ag-
ricultural fields in the Lower Umatilla Basin, an
area with longstanding groundwater contamina-
tion.”
The Port of Morrow has been appealing the
$1.3 million in fines.
“The Port of Morrow recognizes groundwater
contamination is a serious problem, and has been
for decades,” port Executive Director Lisa Mittels-
dorf said. “The port believes this is a community
problem that will require a community solution.
By the DEQ’s own analysis, the port’s industrial
wastewater reuse program is responsible for less
than 5% of the area’s nitrates. We will continue to
work with DEQ to collaborate on a solution that
will address what happens to industrial wastewa-
ter during winter months without shutting down
the industries generating that wastewater.”
According to the statement from DEQ, the Port
of Morrow is one of many sources contributing to
nitrate contamination in northern Morrow and
Umatilla counties — an area known as the Lower
Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area.
The primary source of contamination in the
area, about 70%, is from fertilizer used on irri-
gated farmland, according to the management ar-
ea’s action plan. Additional contributors are dairy
and cattle farms (about 20%), food processing
facilities, such as the port that reuse wastewater
to irrigate fields (about 5%) and residential septic
systems and other sources (about 5%).
HermistonHerald.com
EasternOregonMarketplace.com
AT THE
SUMMIT
BY ERICK PETERSON • Hermiston Herald
For anyone wanting to meet some of Oregon’s most
influential government leaders, the 2022 Eastern Oregon
Economic Summit was the place to be.
MAKING FRIENDS
MERKLEY SPEAKS
CANDIDATES
COURTING VOTERS
Oregon legislators praise
bipartisanship. A10
Senator sees a federal role
in solving local issues. A11
Gubernatorial hopefuls address
potential voters. A12
Betsy Johnson meets locals at
Hermiston restaurant. A13
Local officials and
business owners gather
Friday morning,
June 17, 2022, at
the Eastern Oregon
Economic Summit in
Hermiston.
See, DEQ/Page A7
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
LIGHTER SIDE
“Three Minutes
with...”
Teres Fair opines on Echo
and family.. A2
LOCAL NEWS
Ready for wheelies
The Eastern Oregon Women’s Coali-
tion organized the event, which took place
Thursday and Friday, June 16 and 17. State
Representative Bobby Levy is the presi-
dent of the group, and she is one of the five
founding members.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “This is one
of the dreams that we had.”
According to Levy, 300 people paid ahead
of the event so they could attend. She esti-
mated on Friday that 250 individuals were
present that morning.
Hermiston Assistant City Manager Mark
Morgan was among the attendees.
“I think it’s awesome,” he said. “Hats off
to the Eastern Oregon Women’s Coalition
for the amazing work they’ve done.”
Morgan said he was excited to see many
state legislators, a U.S. senator and two of
three gubernatorial candidates at the event.
These people didn’t just travel to town,
go to the summit and leave, Morgan stated.
Rather, the legislators toured the area, vis-
ited local businesses and met residents.
Maybe it was enough to give them a good
picture of the region and its potential, he
said.
He added that such events might not have
seemed very special prior to the pandemic.
Now that we have experienced isolation, he
said, people have a sense that gatherings are
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
State Rep. Bobby Levy of Echo, left, and co-founder of Eastern Oregon’s Women Coalition, discusses
the future of Eastern Oregon on Friday, June 17, 2022, at the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit.
Levy and the coalition organized the event at Hermiston High School. Among those attending were
Hermiston Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan, center, and Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, right.
important; this is how we know one another
and the issues we all face.
According to Morgan, he plans to tell the
Hermiston City Council about his experi-
ence at the summit.
He stated that he had already been in reg-
ular contact with Hermiston Mayor David
Drotzmann, texting him during the sum-
mit. In these conversations, according to
Morgan, Drotzmann said he had met with
Sen. Jeff Merkley while the senator was in
town.
Morgan said he had met at least one well-
known politician, too. He visited with gu-
bernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson during
the summit.
“I made sure she got a ‘thank you’ for
coming to Hermiston and getting her boots
on the ground out here,” Morgan said. “I
think that it’s important that when you have
these people in town that you actually go
out there and talk to them.”
Visit eowc.biz for more information on
the EOWC and the EOES.
Umatilla students build wheelchair
for 6-year-old boy. A3
COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
OUTSKIRTS
EASTERN OREGON
Landing Days
Big plans set for Umatilla event. A6
Carnegie Hall
Echo
Economic Summit
Hermiston students perform
in New York City. A8
Market attracts people for fun, food
and commerce. A9
Visiting legislators meet locals
and tour the region. A10-13