Neighbors meet to hear
about toxic groundwater
Sixty test wells have been
contaminated by a toxic plume
that was found in northern and
western Eugene neighborhoods
Andrew Black
Environment/Science/Technology
Residents concerned about the
affects of contaminated groundwa
ter and the subsequent livability of
their neighborhoods listened to rep
resentatives from the Department
of Environmental Quality and the
Oregon Toxics Alliance on Monday,
receiving the latest information on
an investigation of a toxic plume
found beneath a Union Pacific rail
yard in West Eugene.
One message was clear: Don’t
drink the well water. But the po
tential affects to human health,
property values and fish and
wildlife all remained murky.
Years of dumping and spills on
the 400-acre industrial site have
contributed to the formation of
toxic plumes in local neighbor
hoods. DEQ and Union Pacific
have been studying the site for al
most 10 years, and the agencies
have detected more than 36 haz
ardous chemicals.
DEQ Project Manager Gene
Wong, who presented to a full
room of more than 60 community
members, said 60 test wells sam
pled in the affected area showed
that a plume of contaminated
groundwater was slowly moving
north in the River Road neighbor
hood. Another plume is moving
westward, toward the Trainsong
neighborhood, he added.
Wong said DEQ is reviewing draft
reports formed during the past sev
eral years to verify that Union Pacif
ic environmental investigations are
adequate for forming the foundation
for cleanup strategies.
“If there are holes in the data,
we’ll ask Union Pacific to do more
investigations,” Wong said. “It is
safe to irrigate gardens and wash
cars with the water; everyone that
is affected has drinking water
served by EWEB with water from
the McKenzie River.”
Trainsong Neighbors President
Michael Waldorf said he thinks
Union Pacific and DEQ are moving
forward too quickly on the project,
and that community involvement
is vital.
“If I had a well, I sure wouldn’t
irrigate my vegetables with the wa
ter,” Waldorf said. “When you mix
those contaminants, who knows
what kind of soup you’re getting.”
Oregon Toxics Alliance Director
David Monk said that to make sure
the investigation is accurate and
comprehensive, it is important for
community members to be in
volved in the process.
“We want to make sure that the
investigation is complete and that
all the contaminants are identi
fied,” Monk said. “We believe that
there are other chemical spills and
illegal dumpings in the rail yard
that haven’t yet been identified.
From the first-hand stories of ill
ness and illegal dumpings, we be
lieve there is much more to this
case than the DEQ has identified.”
Contact the reporter
at andrewblack@dailyemerald.com.
Marijuana
continued from page 1A
she thought the fine would hurt
young and old people alike.
“I will be voting against this,”
she said. “I don’t think that raising
the fine will be a deterrent.”
Taylor added that forcing people
into treatment isn’t effective if
there is no willingness to change,
and most people not willing to stop
smoking don’t think about the dif
ference between #100 and #250.
Ward 3 City Councilor David Kel
ly, who represents the University
area, said the only reason he was
supporting the measure was because
of the advantage the diversion will
bring to students. Successful com
pletion of the program will result in
the city dropping the conviction for
first-time offenders, and students
who are convicted of drug posses
sion could potentially lose financial
aid if it stays on their record.
Kelly added that he will be listen
ing to make sure medical marijuana
patients aren’t being harmed, and to
make sure offenders are not auto
matically charged #250, warning
that he would not hesitate to revisit
the issue if he found that it was
harmful or abused.
Contact the senior news reporter
at janmontry@dailyemerald.com.
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
Ward 3 City Councilor David Kelly, who represents University students, voted yes on
the ordinance to increase the fine for less than an ounce of marijuana
Flasher
continued from page 1A
Pilliod said she raced to reach the
rec center and call the Eugene Po
lice Department. The police logged
the call at 6:34 a.m. and noted the
suspect description but were unable
to locate the flasher. Pilliod de
scribed the suspect as a middle-age
Caucasian male with short brown
hair and a full beard. She said the
man was wearing a long-sleeved,
horizontally striped shirt, dark
pants and large glasses.
Despite a roughly close proximity
in reported locations, the descrip
tion of Pilliod’s flasher in no way re
sembles those reported to EPD over
the weekend.
A female called EPD at 1:50 a.m.
Saturday to report a male suspect
masturbating with his pants around
his knees while following her and
her friends back to her residence
near East 19th Avenue and Alder
Street. The suspect was described as
a Caucasian male in his 20s wearing
a handkerchief over his face. The
responding officers were not able to
locate the suspect, who was last
seen on Alder Street between East
17th and East 18th avenues.
Less than an hour later, a second
female caller gave a similar descrip
tion of a suspect masturbating on
her front porch. The female called
EPD at 2:39 a.m. after peering out a
window to view the suspect, who
had rung her doorbell. Officers were
unable to locate the suspect, who
left the scene before they arrived.
Still settling down from the initial
shock of the crime, Pilliod said the
incident has given her reason to
think twice about walking home
alone and has made the walk to and
from her car a task now filled with
fear and uncertainty.
“I have always felt really comfort
able in my neighborhood,” she said.
“It’s unbelievable — I’m so angry.”
Contact the reporter
at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com.
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