Cleanup of west Eugene yards contaminated by J.H. Baxter toxins delayed until early 2023
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has again delayed the cleanup of the yards contaminated by the J.H. Baxter & Co. wood treatment plant in west Eugene.
Oregon DEQ pushed the cleanup to early next year after finding toxins deeper in the soil this summer.
DEQ announced in January an investigation of the Baxter plant revealed a class of toxic compounds called dioxins had been found in the soil of yards near the facility. The plant itself already was known to be contaminated with dioxins, which can be created by industrial processes, and DEQ says the company is responsible for their presence in the yards.
J.H. Baxter shut down its Eugene plant shortly after the announcement and has told DEQ it cannot afford to pay for the cleanup. DEQ now plans to pay for the upfront costs with expectations of recovering the money from J.H. Baxter later.
Read more:DEQ finds carcinogenic compounds in west Eugene yards around J.H. Baxter & Co. plant
Testing at residences around the facility revealed varying levels of contamination, some of which DEQ said in January needed to be cleaned up "as soon as possible." Dioxins are carcinogenic, and primarily would enter the human body by consuming contaminated soil, which could happen if gardeners fail to thoroughly clean their hands after digging in the soil or when children play in the yards.
An adult would have to consume contaminated soil regularly over a long period to have a higher chance of getting cancer. Children are more at risk because of their higher propensity to ingest soil while playing in contaminated yards.
DEQ first intended to begin cleanup of the most contaminated yards in spring, but later moved its schedule to early summer and then again to September. DEQ has said the delays were a result of each yard needing a unique workplan.
Removal and replacement of soil from five contaminated yards now is slated to begin early next year, DEQ announced Wednesday. Testing in June revealed dioxin contamination is deeper than expected, up to a foot deep in some yards.
DEQ said in a news release that more sampling is needed to understand the full depth of contamination, which determines how much soil must be removed. DEQ said additional soil sampling will take several months to complete.
Homeowners were informed of the delay and have agreed to it, according to DEQ.
DEQ and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have sampled 32 yards in the area north of the J.H. Baxter plant.
The results show five yards with dioxin concentrations that exceed 40 parts per trillion, a level that needs cleanup as soon as possible based on potential health impacts to children younger than 6 years old.
No children live in the five homes set for soil cleanup, according to the news release.
Once the sampling is complete, DEQ said it will develop a detailed cleanup plan and timeline.
Related:One month after J.H. Baxter agrees to pay DEQ debts, no signs of payment on the way
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify dioxins do not contaminate plants grown in the soil.
Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Cleanup of Eugene yards contaminated by J.H. Baxter delayed again
