“Most well-water users in northeast Oregon counties still in the dark about toxic contamination”

By Alex Baumhardt | Oregon Capital Chronicle | October 3, 2023

“The Oregon Health Authority has failed to meet Gov. Tina Kotek’s expectation on well water testing for harmful contamination in northeast Oregon, rural advocates said.

Local organizers with the nonprofit environmental and social justice group Oregon Rural Action said the state’s testing campaign failed to meet Kotek’s expectations set in May that all wells would be tested by the end of September.

“The governor came out and looked people in the eye and said this would be dealt with, that testing would be done by Sept. 30,” said Kaleb Lay, an organizer for the group.”