Hagens Berman: Judge Denies Motions to Dismiss Groundwater Contamination Lawsuit Against Port of Morrow and Commercial Operators
Ruling clears path to trial for thousands of Lower Umatilla Basin residents alleging nitrate-polluted drinking water
A federal judge denied motions to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing the Port of Morrow, commercial farms and operators of contaminating groundwater in Oregon’s Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area (LUBGWMA), according to attorneys at Hagens Berman and co-counsel Bliven Law Firm and Heenan & Cook.
The ruling, issued June 5, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon of the District of Oregon, greenlights claims under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Oregon state law against defendants Port of Morrow, Lamb Weston, Portland General Electric, Columbia River Processing, Madison Ranches and Threemile Canyon Farms. The court has scheduled a three-week jury trial to begin May 3, 2027.
“This ruling is a significant win for the thousands of residents in Morrow and Umatilla counties who have waited years for safe drinking water and for someone to be held accountable,” said Steve Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman. “Today, the court has ensured their case will be heard.”
