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Toxic waste dump above Lithia Park? Ashland city officials are investigating an area above Lithia Park known as "The Granite Pit" for buried toxic chemicals. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Wednesday Nov 16, 2016 at 2:00 AM Nov 16, 2016 at 7:42 AM By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune The city of Ashland is investigating whether barrels filled with diesel fuel and herbicides were buried in the area known as the concrete pit above Lithia Park in the 1970s. “Why take a chance with something like that?” said City Administrator Dave Kanner. The site where the barrels allegedly were buried is the same spot where the city is planning to build a new water treatment plant. The city was alerted to the possible toxic waste dump by what Kanner referred to as a “credible source.” He said the city began work immediately to verify the information and consider what, if any, remediation would be needed. “We don’t know what sort of barrels they would have been buried in, since we don’t know for certain if they are there. We’re waiting to get more information from the Department of Environmental Quality,” said Kanner, who added he was told by the DEQ that disposing of waste by burying it was not an unusual practice at that time. Kanner said the city would deal with removal of the barrels once work begins on development of the treatment plant. The site is a couple of hundred yards east of Glenview Drive at the south end of Lithia Park, according to Kanner. He said it looks like a gravel pit and is near a popular hiking trail. The DEQ recommended the city of Ashland contact an environmental remediation company, which it has done as a first step. “A contractor can provide technical services to determine for sure whether such materials were disposed of at the site; whether any chemical contamination has migrated into Ashland Creek; and what remedial actions should be taken, if any,” Kanner said. The DEQ also has advised the city it’s possible that even if such barrels were buried, no action may be required. Depending on circumstance and duration of burial, harmful chemicals could have become inert by now. The Public Works department has tested Ashland Creek below the concrete pit and from the swimming area nearby for the presence of any chemical contaminants that might have been leached into the water. The water is routinely tested for bacteria but not normally for contaminants. Those tests should come back by the end of the week, Kanner said. According to the Groundwater Foundation, there are more than 20,000 sites in the U.S. where hazardous materials were buried and left unaddressed, possibly allowing toxic chemicals to leach into the groundwater. Because the handling of buried toxic substances can be dangerous, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends not digging them up or handling them without special equipment and training: “Hazards include detonations, fires, explosions, vapor generation, and physical injury resulting from moving heavy containers by hand and working around stacked drums, heavy equipment, and deteriorated drums. While these hazards are always present, proper work practices — such as minimizing handling and using equipment and procedures that isolate workers from hazardous substances — can minimize the risks to site personnel.” Kanner said it’s best to get the experts in to deal with the problem if, in fact, barrels were buried there. “We don’t know for sure if this happened, but we want to be careful with this,” said Kanner. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/@julieakins.