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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Talk focuses on indicators, types of memory loss ... Volunteers to give Mt. Ashland a little loving care Wednesday ... Guest Opinion: Not just some oily dirt ... Talk focuses on indicators, types of memory loss ... Volunteers to give Mt. Ashland a little loving care Wednesday ... Guest Opinion: Not just some oily dirt ... OUR VIEW Our View: Just some oily dirt Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Whenever development is proposed where soil is contaminated, environmental rules require the property owner to remove the contaminated soil and replace it with clean fill before development can proceed. That's what Union Pacific plans to do on some property it owns in Ashland's railroad district, but residents are objecting to trucks hauling the dirt through their neighborhood. It's hard to understand those objections, because the result will be a cleaned-up site that could contribute to the economy of the city. It may be partly misinformation: Rumors of "toxic waste" being hauled through town prompted city officials last month to post a "rumor watch" page on the city's website. The reality: It's not radioactive, or laced with hexavalent chromium. It's just dirt contaminated with petroleum. Most people with older cars probably have similar contamination on their driveways, although nothing to compare with the results of 100 years of rail yard activity. The plan is to haul the dirt via Oak Street and Eagle Mill Road — the most direct route out of town, bypassing most of the city. Up to 25 daily trips could be involved, but Oak Street has large speed bumps, so speeds will be slow. The city is requiring that loads be covered and truck wheels washed before departure, and Union Pacific is required to pay the cost of repairing any roads degraded by the truck traffic. In short, residents will trade some temporary truck traffic for a cleaner railroad district. Sounds fair to us.       DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501