Ana Maria Rodriguez demonstrates how to test for nitrates outside the state Capitol in Salem on April 17, 2023. (Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Two years ago, Morrow County residents drove to Salem to meet with Gov. Tina Kotek’s staff to discuss the nitrate pollution in the area’s underground water.
They asked that the governor declare a public health emergency to unleash resources to address the years-long crisis.
Kotek finally responded — this month. She declared an economic emergency for the area, allowing the Port of Morrow to violate its wastewater permit and continue the practices that have destroyed the environment and lives. This was a callous decision and ignores the situation on the ground.
Nitrate contamination in Morrow and Umatilla counties has led to miscarriages, cancer and other serious health issues. I’ve seen it firsthand, visiting homes where families are suffering because of the water they drink. Perhaps if she had an inbox full of heart-wrenching stories or had sat and grieved with the multitude of mothers who have lost their babies to this pestilence — it may have given her pause.
Instead, in her press release, she said, “I heard from a couple local titans of business who suggested that discontinuing the pollution will reduce their income.”
It is fundamental under American law that you do not have a right to make money while harming another’s property nor health.
Kotek came to our community a couple of years ago, promising change. She pledged to stop the pollution, to end winter discharges that flood our groundwater with nitrates. But those promises have been forgotten, replaced by an economic emergency declaration that prioritizes profit over people.
Those promises have turned out to be lies.
The community hit hardest by this crisis is largely made up of minority and low-income families, making this an environmental justice issue at its core. Kotek campaigned on environmental justice, but her actions tell a different story. Here, in the Lower Umatilla Basin, we’re living proof that those pledges were empty.
The violence against advocacy, like when one of Oregon Rural Action’s vehicles was firebombed during a visit by BIPOC legislative members, shows how desperate some are to silence our cries for a cleaner, safer environment. It’s not just about health and environmental policy; it’s about basic human rights.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommended a health assessment and an epidemiological study to truly understand the impact of nitrates on our community. Both the state and the polluters have been reluctant, perhaps fearing what the truth might cost them. But the cost to us, in health and lives, is already too high.
This situation demands immediate, decisive action, not economic Band-Aids that allow pollution to continue.
Kotek’s decision to prioritize an economic emergency over public health shows a preference for safeguarding agricultural and industrial profits at the expense of our well-being, especially for those in our marginalized communities who suffer the most. Sadly, when money is at stake there are those on the left and right that won’t let reproduction, environmental degradation or justice stand in their way.
This declaration isn’t just a setback for environmental justice in Oregon; it’s a betrayal of the trust we placed in our leaders to protect us. It’s a harsh reminder that without relentless advocacy, public pressure, and possibly legal action, the voices of those suffering from nitrate contamination will continue to be ignored in favor of economic interests.
But the fight isn’t over, and as long as I’m here, I’ll keep pushing for real change — —putting health and justice before profit.