The 31-acre J H Baxter & Co.
property at 85 Baxter St. in Eugene (the “Site”) has been home to an active
wood treatment facility (the “Facility”) since 1943. Historical spills and
operational practices have caused soil and groundwater contamination. The
Facility has also had past violations of its air quality and water quality
permits, and numerous hazardous waste violations. The local community has
complained of odors and expressed concern over related health effects of the
Facility’s emissions. Since 1989 DEQ, the EPA and the Lane Regional Air
Protection Agency (LRAPA) have investigated the Facility, issued enforcement
actions, and required on-site cleanup of contamination. In 2018 EPA RCRA issued
a Consent Agreement and Final Order to J H Baxter & Co. requiring cleanup
of the tram storage area at the Facility as part of the on-site remedial action
subsequently selected in 2019.
In accordance with OAR 340-122-0115
(26) The ‘Facility’ or ‘Site” includes the J H Baxter facility itself, as well
as “any area where a hazardous substance has been deposited, stored, disposed
of, or placed, or otherwise come to be located.” At this site, this includes
the on-site and off-site areas, including residential neighborhoods near the
Facility, where contamination from the Facility has migrated.
A DEQ Record of Decision was
completed for the Site in October 2019 (DEQ, 2019). The remedy includes capping
about 16 acres of contaminated soil at the Site, continuing groundwater pumping
for hydraulic containment of contaminated groundwater, removal of contaminated
ditch sediments on the south side of the Site, and sampling of soil in offsite
areas that could reasonably have been impacted by contaminant discharges from
the facility. Offsite areas that are more likely to have been impacted are to
the north and south of the Site, in the direction of the prevailing winds. The
ditch on the south side of the Site accepts stormwater runoff from the east,
along the railroad tracks and treated stormwater from the Site.
On
February 10, 2022 DEQ formally requested EPA’s assistance to conduct additional
offsite sampling of other residential properties and have provided a list for
EPA to consider
Click here to access interactive GIS viewer