PORTLAND — An Oregon judge has issued a gag order to prevent officials from discussing the high levels of a cancer-causing chemical they found in the air near a Lebanon battery parts maker.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Linn County Circuit Court Judge Thomas McHill issued the order on Friday after Entek International’s request. McHill says the preliminary findings by the state environmental and health regulators could cause the battery company irreparable harm.
Court records show that the regulators found high levels of a cancer-causing chemical called trichloroethylene near Entek. Officials say it’s more than 70 times higher than what is considered safe.
In the lawsuit filed against Department of Environmental Quality on Thursday, Entek argued the emission is within its permitted limits.
