HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from the Mayor to DEQ re Union Pacific Cleanup
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August 11, 2015
Greg Aitken
Project Manager & Hydrologist
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
165 E. 7`t' St.
Eugene, OR 97401
Dear Mr. Aitken:
The Ashland City Council was recently briefed by staff on a proposal by Union Pacific Railroad
to remove an unused fuel vault as well as contaminated soil in a two-acre area around the vault.
I am writing to you to share the Council's concerns about this project and to request that the
DEQ give its most serious consideration to these concerns.
First, the Council is troubled by UPRR's proposal to remove contaminated soil by truck rather
than rail. Rail was proposed in UPRR's approved "Remedy Implementation Plan" (September
10, 2012) and it remains the least impactful, most appropriate means of removal. We believe the
impact of trucks, in terms of air quality and the risk of contaminated soil escaping along the truck
route is of great concern to our community. We are also concerned about the precedent this sets,
as it opens the door to doing a full site clean-up with trucks. This is a prospect to which the City
has objected in the past and to which we would continue to object.
Next, the Council would like to see a plan for the full site clean-up. We specifically seek
assurance that a full-site clean-up will be done by rail.
The City Council and I therefore request DEQ's consideration of approving only a full-site
clean-up of the railroad property and further request that the DEQ encourage the use of rail rather
than trucks for soil removal.
Thank you for your attention to these requests.
Sincerely,
John Stromberg. mayor
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR Tel: 541-488-6002
20 East Main Street Fax: 541-488-5311
Ashland. Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900 R .
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