The City of Eugene, working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), has opened a six‑week public comment period for its proposed cleanup of Trainsong Park. The plan, which was presented to the public in September, calls for a $1.2 million design that would bury and cap the park’s polluted soil rather than transport it off‑site.

Plan Details and Timeline

The city’s preferred option includes two phases—Part A and Part B—both focused on safely containing the contaminated material. If DEQ gives final approval, construction would begin next year and continue through the summer. Written comments are due by 5 p.m. on Dec. 11 and can be submitted through the DEQ records viewer.

Why the Cap?

Trainsong Park sits on an estimated 770 dump‑truck loads of toxic soil, much of it containing dioxins, a group of chemicals linked to increased cancer risk at high exposure levels. Scientists and city consultants note that dioxins in this soil tend to adhere to the ground rather than leach into groundwater or become airborne, limiting the hazard to direct contact.

In 2021, a consultant testing soil at the nearby former J.H. Baxter wood‑treatment Superfund site established baseline dioxin levels for west Eugene. Samples from Trainsong Park, however, revealed unexpectedly high concentrations, prompting the city to seek a permanent solution.

Agency Review and Funding

In a public notice dated Oct. 30, DEQ reviewed the city’s analysis of brownfield cleanup alternatives and concluded that the proposed cap would meet Oregon cleanup laws and protect human health and the environment. The agency will now consider public input before issuing a final decision.

The cleanup is funded by a $1.5 million federal brownfields grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, supplemented by city funds. Brownfields grants are appropriated by Congress to address sites where the polluter is unknown or unable to pay.

Community Concerns and Answers

Some residents have asked whether the nearby J.H. Baxter facility contributed to the contamination. Landscape architect Emily Proudfoot, who presented the plan, said the connection is “definitely not” proven, adding, “We can’t prove it.” The city’s own records show J.H. Baxter historically dumped hazardous waste off‑site at the former Day Island Landfill, now part of Alton Baker Park, but no definitive link to Trainsong Park has been established.

Local officials emphasize that the cap strategy is the most cost‑effective and safest method available. By keeping the contaminated soil in place and sealing it, the city avoids the risks and expenses associated with hauling thousands of truckloads of hazardous material to distant disposal sites.

How to Comment

Residents who wish to weigh in can submit written comments through the DEQ’s online records viewer. The city encourages a broad range of feedback, from technical concerns to community impact considerations, before the Dec. 11 deadline.

With DEQ’s preliminary approval and federal funding secured, the Trainsong Park cap plan represents a proactive step by Eugene’s leaders to safeguard public health while responsibly managing a legacy environmental challenge.

Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.