Pendleton Joins Lawsuit Against Forever Chemical Producers

City cites low-level presence of chemicals in water, despite doubts about test accuracy

Mar. 18, 2026 at 10:00pm

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The Pendleton City Council voted unanimously to join a class-action lawsuit against producers of forever chemicals, after the city attorney reported a test showing low levels of the chemicals in the city's water supply. The public works director expressed skepticism about the accuracy of the test, but said joining the lawsuit is still worthwhile to hold producers accountable for the widespread issue.

Why it matters

Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are an emerging environmental concern due to their persistence in the environment and potential health risks. Pendleton's decision to join the lawsuit reflects a growing trend of municipalities taking legal action against chemical manufacturers in response to PFAS contamination in local water supplies.

The details

The city attorney, Nancy Kerns, reported that a test showed the presence of PFAS chemicals in Pendleton's water at 4 parts per trillion, a low level that the public works director, Jeff Brown, said he does not believe is accurate. However, Brown supported joining the lawsuit, stating that these chemicals are a major problem that needs to be addressed, and that it makes sense for the city to be part of the litigation.

  • The Pendleton City Council voted on the decision to join the lawsuit on March 17, 2026.
  • The public works director, Jeff Brown, said he is working on further testing the water system to get more accurate results.

The players

Nancy Kerns

The city attorney for Pendleton, who recommended the city join the class-action lawsuit against PFAS producers after receiving test results showing low levels of the chemicals in the city's water supply.

Jeff Brown

The public works director for Pendleton, who expressed skepticism about the accuracy of the test results but still supported joining the lawsuit to hold PFAS producers accountable.

Pendleton City Council

The governing body of the City of Pendleton, which unanimously voted to join the class-action lawsuit against PFAS producers.

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What they’re saying

“We have to start holding those producers accountable. It makes sense to be part of the litigation, but I just want to caution everyone that I don't believe that we have that in our water.”

— Jeff Brown, Public Works Director

“He said it's a low level presence in our water, it's not something to get excited about, but still it's there.”

— Nancy Kerns, City Attorney

What’s next

The city is planning to conduct further testing of the water system to get more accurate results on the presence of PFAS chemicals.

The takeaway

Pendleton's decision to join the lawsuit against PFAS producers reflects a growing awareness and concern among municipalities about the widespread contamination of water supplies by these persistent chemicals, even at low levels. The case highlights the challenges cities face in accurately testing for and addressing PFAS issues.