Judge Approves $36 Million Oregon River Pollution Settlement

An Oregon federal court approved a $36.2 million cleanup agreement between the US government, several tribes, Oregon, and about 20 companies for the pollution of Portland’s Willamette River and surrounding area.

“After nearly two decades of negotiations among the parties, environmental impact studies, notice-and-comment periods, and public information sessions, Trustees have moved for entry and approval of two settlement agreements,” Judge Michael H. Simon of the US District Court for the District of Oregon said Thursday.

The parties in 2023 reached the multi-million dollar settlement with companies and other entities owning facilities that allegedly polluted the river and ...