*UPDATED* Project FAQs
How did contamination get into the soil at Trainsong Park?
Aerial photos and park neighbor input support the idea that contaminated fill soil was placed on the park site prior to the City’s purchase of the property for a park in the early 1980’s. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has not found any evidence to link the park contamination to the J.H. Baxter site.
What are dioxins?
Dioxins are a group of chemicals that are formed during industrial processes such as the bleaching process in pulp and paper making. They are also present in some wood treating formulations and can be generated during the burning of organic materials, including by wildfires. Studies have shown that exposure to dioxins increases the risk of several types of cancer in people. Importantly, the dioxin in the soil at Trainsong Park is bound to the soil particles and is not expected to contaminate ground water in the park or surrounding neighborhood.
I visit the park – what does that mean about my exposure?
Trainsong Park soils have been found to contain dioxins at concentrations above DEQ recommended levels. DEQ’s recommended levels are conservative, meaning they assume that every visit to the park involves direct soil-to-skin contact and accidental ingestion (eating) or inhalation (breathing) of soil. Areas with levels of dioxins above DEQ’s recommended levels have been fenced off.
Most people visiting the park do not come into contact with park soil. Pavement, grass, vegetation, and imported sand and bark chips are all considered to be free from this contamination and act as a barrier to direct soil exposure.
You can limit your exposure by avoiding contact with bare soil and washing your hands prior to eating, drinking, or touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
How will Trainsong Park be cleaned up?
The project remediation plan looked at four options: taking no action; capping the contaminated soil; a combination of excavation and soil blending; and full excavation of contaminated soil. All four options were evaluated on criteria including their effectiveness, long-term reliability, and cost. The original recommended approach was full excavation, which involved removing the top 12 inches of soil from the areas with high levels of dioxins and replacing it with clean soil.
Since then, further soil testing has determined that soil contamination in some areas of the park goes down 24 inches or more requiring an adjustment in the design approach to assure a long-term protective condition when the project is complete. The design will now be a combination of excavation and capping to provide up to a 24 inch barrier between contaminated soil and finish grade.
What are DEQ and the City of Eugene’s roles in the cleanup?
DEQ performed the initial soil testing that identified the dioxins in some areas of Trainsong Park. DEQ used US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding to perform that testing, and that funding ran out in June 2023. At that time the project became the responsibility of the City of Eugene. The City has voluntarily entered the site into a DEQ program for their continued oversight of the planning and implementation of cleanup efforts as the DEQ will continue as the regulating agency through construction.
Where is funding coming from?
The City of Eugene was awarded a $1.56 million grant from the EPA Brownfields Program in May of 2024. Prior to this the City used Park SDC funds to work with a consultant to further understand the contamination issues and apply for the EPA grant.
How much of the $1.56 million is available for cleanup construction work?
About $1 million of the grant funding is dedicated for remedial construction work. The remainder of grant funding is for additional soil testing, technical analysis, planning, and project design.
Is the project more expensive now that Parks has to construct a 24 inch cap over the contaminated soil areas?
If the City were to remove and replace a full 24” of contaminated soil, it would cost about double the original budget associated with the original 12” capping plan. As a result, the design will now construct an approximate 24” cap by excavating and removing some contaminated soil but likely importing more material than is removed to create long term protective condition.
At most, how much soil would be removed to create a 24” cap?
Current calculations estimate that removing 24” of existing contaminated soil would be about 8,000 cubic yards or 800 dump trucks of material. The project budget is limited for soil removal as disposal and trucking is much more expensive than importing soil. As a result, it’s more likely the project will remove about half this amount (400 cy), and that more material will be brought on site to create a functioning cap.
What are the gradients of contamination within each of the contaminated soil zones? Do we know what’s happening below 24” and are there hydrological effects?
It’s different in each area, but in some cases the contamination levels are higher below the surface than at the surface. Soil contamination testing has not occurred below 24” as this is the depth required for a protective cap. Importantly, if there is contaminated soil shallower than 24”, it’s not going anywhere as these chemicals are bound to soil particles. As such, there is no groundwater contamination or underground movement expected of these chemicals beyond the park site.
Could you use plants to uptake the contamination in the soil and is existing tree foliage safe?
Since the dioxin chemicals are bound to the soil particles, they are not mobile in water or biologically available to plants. As a result, plants are not useful in decontaminating these types of chemicals in soil. These chemicals are also not present in existing plant foliage on the site.
How do I comment on the cleanup plan? How will my comments be used?
You can sign up for email updates to hear about the project and future opportunities for input by filling out the form in the upper right corner of the project web page. Community questions and comments are essential to the design and success of the project, and we look forward to meeting you in person over the coming year for these conversations.
The draft cleanup plan was part of the City of Eugene’s grant application to the EPA for funding and the City was able to incorporate public comment into the proposed cleanup plan for Trainsong Park.
Additional testing was completed in March of 2026 to finalize the design plan for soil remediation. The City hosted the first of up to three public meetings on May 28, 2026, and a second meeting is planned for mid-September.
How long will the park be closed for the cleanup?
The basketball courts, playgrounds, baseball field, and skate park currently remain open. Portions of the park will need to remain closed until cleanup activities are complete. The City of Eugene has been working closely with Oregon DEQ and the EPA to finalize the project timeline and we now expect the work to be completed in the summer of 2027. The construction project is expected to take 13 weeks to complete we expect that the whole park will then re-open to the public in the fall of 2027. Park renovations are now planned for Summer of 2028, which will close some areas of the park temporarily, and all work should be completed in the fall of that year.
How will you control dust during construction?
We heard clearly that neighbors are very concerned about dust exposure during construction which is a legitimate and valid concern. The Oregon DEQ must approve a Health and Safety Plan as part of the permitting of the project, and the plan will include many controls for limiting contaminated soil erosion and migration. This includes provision of water trucks for dust control, cleaning of construction equipment and tires prior to leaving the site, tightly securing truck loads, and much more. The City is committed to transparency on this issue and is considering additional in-home measures for residents adjacent to the park including provision of air conditioners and air purifiers. Staff will be providing more details and regular updates on this issue as the design project moves forward.
What will the haul route be for soil transport and will streets be repaired if construction vehicles impact the street surfacing?
The current plan is to have construction vehicles enter and exit the park site from Edison Street. The condition of the street surface will be evaluated before and after construction and staff have committed to consulting with our colleagues in Public Works Surface Maintenance to determine any potential impacts of construction traffic. Edison is classified as a local street and is improved with curb gutters and sidewalks in some places. If repairs are required, the City will coordinate closely with Surface Maintenance on how we can accomplish this.
What’s happening to address flooding in the park in big rain events?
There is a separate project being managed out of the Engineering Division of Public Works to examine solutions to the flooding problem at Trainsong Park. The issue was more recently exacerbated by the blocking of a storm drainpipe under the railroad tracks in the northeast corner of the site and the City understands the impacts to neighboring properties. It’s especially acute during big storm events that produce a lot of rain in a short time frame, which has become a more common occurrence over time in Oregon.
A stormwater management design will now be included in the design of the project and will be shared with the community as it’s further refined.
Is there funding for residents to test soil on their properties close to the park?
There is not currently funding for residential property soil testing as part of the park remediation project. The DEQ and the City are working in close partnership on this project and community questions and concerns on this topic are a consistent theme in our community discussions. Understanding individual residents’ concerns and goals around this type of testing will be an important factor in determining next steps as the testing is resource intensive and, ultimately, may or may not be helpful in providing the assurances property owners may be seeking.