‘No more dog and pony’: Portland area lawmakers hear from nitrate-affected Oregonians

Oregon Public Broadcasting - By Antonio Sierra - Nov. 30, 2023

Members of the state Legislature’s BIPOC Caucus visited Boardman this week to hear about nitrate pollution.

It’s been more than a year since Morrow County declared an emergency over nitrate contamination in the Lower Umatilla Basin. But residents are still learning that their water is unsafe to drink.

Gloria Muñoz, 19, said she had just heard about the Boardman area’s nitrate pollution earlier that day. Her Monday night audience included three Oregon state legislators and about 30 residents whose patience in the government’s ability to clean their drinking water was quickly waning.