Residents concerned about the affects of contaminated groundwater and the subsequent livability of their neighborhoods listened to representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Toxics Alliance on Monday, receiving the latest information on an investigation of a toxic plume found beneath a Union Pacific railyard in West Eugene.
One message was clear: Don’t drink the well water. But the potential affects to human health, property values and fish and wildlife all remained murky.
Years of dumping and spills on the 400-acre industrial site have contributed to the formation of toxic plumes in local neighborhoods. DEQ and Union Pacific have been studying the site for almost 10 years, and the agencies have detected more than 36 hazardous chemicals.
DEQ Project Manager Gene Wong, who presented to a full room of more than 60 community members, said 60 test wells sampled in the affected area showed that a plume of contaminated groundwater was slowly moving north in the River Road neighborhood. Another plume is moving westward, toward the Trainsong neighborhood, he added.
Wong said DEQ is reviewing draft reports formed during the past several years to verify that Union Pacific environmental investigations are adequate for forming the foundation for cleanup strategies.
“If there are holes in the data, we’ll ask Union Pacific to do more investigations,” Wong said. “It is safe to irrigate gardens and wash cars with the water; everyone that is affected has drinking water served by EWEB with water from the McKenzie River.”
Trainsong Neighbors President Michael Waldorf said he thinks Union Pacific and DEQ are moving forward too quickly on the project, and that community involvement is vital.
“If I had a well, I sure wouldn’t irrigate my vegetables with the water,” Waldorf said. “When you mix those contaminants, who knows what kind of soup you’re getting.”
Oregon Toxics Alliance Director David Monk said that to make sure the investigation is accurate and comprehensive, it is important for community members to be involved in the process.
“We want to make sure that the investigation is complete and that all the contaminants are identified,” Monk said. “We believe that there are other chemical spills and illegal dumpings in the rail yard that haven’t yet been identified. From the first-hand stories of illness and illegal dumpings, we believe there is much more to this case than the DEQ has identified.”