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 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

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Union Pacific Railyard Cleanup, Eugene - Groundwater Contamination

Solvent chemicals from the Railyard have contaminated groundwater on the Union Pacific Railyard. The contamination from the Railyard has spread in groundwater to the west and north, beneath a small area of the Trainsong neighborhood and a larger area of River Road. A monitoring well network has been used to monitor the contamination levels for over 10 years. The levels of contamination have declined over time, helped by the groundwater cleanup activities Union Pacific conducted on its property (see Groundwater Cleanup section).

DEQ and Oregon Public Health Division have concluded that well water in the River Road and most of Trainsong neighborhoods is safe for outdoor uses, including irrigation, washing, and filling of outdoor swimming pools. All homes in these neighborhoods are connected to the municipal water supply, making indoor tap water safe to drink. It is also safe to use well water for irrigating vegetable gardens in most areas.
In a small area near Bethel Drive and Haig Street in Trainsong, groundwater may not be safe to use for irrigation. There are no wells currently used for irrigation in this area (see Groundwater Use Map). If irrigation wells are used in this small area of Trainsong, DEQ should be contacted and the well may need to be tested to measure the levels of contamination, if any, present to determine if the water is safe for irrigation use.


• Fact Sheet: Safety of Homegrown Produce Irrigated with Groundwater Near the Eugene Railyard PDF
• Groundwater Use Map
• PCE Plume (Spring 2009) pdf
• TCE Plume (Spring 2009) pdf

 

For more information about DEQ's Land Quality programs, visit the DEQ contact page.

For more information about DEQ's Land Quality Division call 503-229-5696 .

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Headquarters: 811 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204-1390
Phone: 503-229-5696 or toll free in Oregon 1-800-452-4011
Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service: 1-800-735-2900  FAX: 503-229-6124

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is a regulatory agency authorized to protect Oregon's environment by
the State of Oregon and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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