Kotek returns to Oregon’s Umatilla Basin as locals grapple with nitrate response

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Government: Oregon Public Broadcasting

Kotek returns to Oregon’s Umatilla Basin as locals grapple with nitrate response

A year ago, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek promised a “new day” for the Lower Umatilla Basin’s decades-long nitrates crisis. When she returned to Boardman this week, Kotek told community leaders that there are many more days of work ahead before the crisis can be solved.Since Kotek’s last visit, the state has conducted hundreds of well tests and provided filters or bottled water deliveries to many homes with high nitrate levels. Kotek’s 2023 visit was a…