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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... Police say Grants Pass man admits to 50 vehicle thefts in Rogue Valley ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... Police say Grants Pass man admits to 50 vehicle thefts in Rogue Valley ... ASHLAND RAILROAD DISTRICT Tainted soil to be hauled away from abandoned rail yard Comment By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 24, 2015 at 5:12 PM By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 24, 2015 at 5:12 PM » Social News At some point, likely this summer, big trucks will haul away many loads of petroleum-laden dirt from the Union Pacific rail yard along A Street, but the city wants to quash the rumor that this stuff is “toxic waste” being hauled through the town, week after week. “It’s not toxic. It’s soil that got contaminated with metals, petroleum and its byproducts over many decades,” says city management analyst Ann Seltzer. It will be hauled on Clear Creek, Oak and Eagle Mill streets, then taken to an upstate site for treatment or disposal, she notes. The hauling will take five weeks, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays starting at a date not yet set, but hopefully this summer. Trucks will make 25 trips a day. Loads will be covered and truck wheels will be washed before leaving the site. The city is making sure steps are taken to control dust and erosion. Union Pacific must measure affected streets before and after the project and pay for any degradation of pavement, she said. The rail yard site, now a vacant lot, on the north side of the tracks between Hersey and A streets, was fenced early in this century, when the state Department of Environmental Quality analyzed it and declared the dirt had to be removed and replaced with benign fill before Union Pacific could sell it for development. Union Pacific said in 2006 and 2012 that it would do the job, but didn’t, said Seltzer, adding that it’s only digging up about 10 percent of the 20-acre rail yard this year, and much more work remains to be done. On a Web page entitled “Rumor Control” (www.ashland.or.us/News.asp?NewsID=3308) the city says the cleanup project involves removal of an old underground fuel storage bunker and 7,500 cubic feet of “low risk” soil surrounding it, but no so-called “toxic waste.” The rail yard was built by Southern Pacific and used for locomotive maintenance, service and rail car repair for 99 years, from 1887 (when the West Coast rail line was completed with the “golden spike” in Ashland) to 1986. The city says it will notify nearby residents of the date of the hauling when that becomes known. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 24, 2015 at 5:12 PM » 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501