PacifiCorp to Pay $575 Million to Settle Federal Claims Over Six Wildfires in California and Oregon
The utility company PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve claims brought by the United States for damages caused by six wildfires in California and Oregon, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
The settlement covers firefighting costs and natural resource damages stemming from two fires in California and four in Oregon that burned roughly 290,000 acres of federal land between 2020 and 2022. The government alleged that PacifiCorp’s electrical lines negligently started each of the fires.
In California, the settlement addresses the Slater Fire, which began in September 2020 and burned more than 157,000 acres across the Klamath, Six Rivers, and Rogue River–Siskiyou national forests, and the McKinney Fire, which ignited in July 2022 and burned 39,000 acres of federal land within the Klamath National Forest.
The four Oregon fires included in the agreement are the 242 Fire, the Archie Creek Fire, the Echo Mountain Complex Fire, and the South Obenchain Fire. All began in September 2020 and collectively burned more than 93,000 acres of federal land, according to the Justice Department.
“The United States and PacifiCorp have reached a settlement that ensures fair compensation to the American taxpayer for fire-related damages,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement strikes a balance by addressing the government’s significant fire‑suppression costs and loss of natural resources without preventing PacifiCorp from offering electricity at fair prices.”
The settlement money will reimburse the federal government for firefighting expenses, which the U.S. Forest Service has said now account for more than half its annual budget. Remaining funds will be distributed to the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to restore public lands burned in the fires.
“This settlement served the Department’s longstanding policy of holding individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “Every fire impacting federal lands, no matter the size, is a priority.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford noted the broader impact of wildfires in the region. “Wildfires remain a recurring threat to our natural resources, the safety of our communities, and their economic well‑being,” Bradford said. “The costs of land losses and fire responses are substantial. Recouping the costs associated with these wildfires is a priority for our office, and this settlement achieves that.”
PacifiCorp, which continues to deny liability for the fires, said the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Two Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Charges in Online Sale of Illegal Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs
A Texas couple has pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges for their roles in operating an online business that sold unregulated pesticides and veterinary drugs to customers across the United States, the Justice Department announced.
Thao Duong and Lam Mai entered guilty pleas on Jan. 20 in the Northern District of Texas, according to court records. Sentencing is scheduled for June 9.
Duong, who established the website Cobyfarm.com, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for her role in smuggling products into the United States. Federal prosecutors said some of the products she sold were manufactured in Mexico and were illegally imported.
Her husband, Lam Mai, served as the shipping manager for the business. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which regulates veterinary drugs, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which governs the use and distribution of pesticides.