Weakening safety standards in rail yards puts us at risk!

As we are awaiting the City’s zone verification decision, another concern has been brought to our attention: Union Pacific, the railroad that currently owns and operates the railyard and tracks, has filed for approval to lease this property to Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP). Union Pacific SMART Transportation Division union members expressed concern about this transition to their federal and state elected leaders as well as Beyond Toxics in our role as community advocate. The union opposes the lease, as it will impact the quality of maintenance of the railroad, as CORP is a Class III railroad with significantly less revenue and limited liability as compared to Union Pacific, a Class I railroad. (Union Pacific employs highly skilled union workers, whereas CORP is not held to this standard.) Not only does a lease mean UP railroad employees will lose jobs, it also means rail operations and maintenance will have less stringent safety standards and operating procedures that safeguard employees and community members. Beyond Toxics shares these concerns, as the railroad employees handle railcars full of toxic materials on a daily basis. One failure of operations could result in catastrophic impact for surrounding communities.

Background
In June of 2024, the City of Eugene approved a zone verification for the site at 799 Baxter Drive, for USD Clean Fuels, a biofuels transloading company based out of Houston, TX. The facility would bring train cars full of biofuels and hazardous materials through the railyard, offloading them onto tanker trucks which would then drive through the Trainsong neighborhood along Bethel Drive to deliver this fuel to nearby industries and gas stations.

Our major concerns
Introducing a biofuels transloading facility in this neighborhood poses a number of threats to people and the environment. The company estimates that 40 tanker trucks will make roundtrips to and from the facility at all hours of the day, primarily between 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. These railcars and semi trucks will be transporting an array of highly flammable, toxic chemicals including biodiesel and aviation fuel through narrow neighborhood roads. Community members have expressed concern over air and noise pollution, traffic safety risks, and lack of emergency preparedness.

Neighbors take a stand
The Trainsong neighborhood has already been subjected to decades of industrial pollution, contaminated water, and toxic emissions from railyard activities and nearby industries. Now, they want to introduce a biofuel terminal in close proximity to home and parks, potentially exposing children and neighbors to even more dangerous pollutants and risk of disaster! The Trainsong and River Road communities, with support from Beyond Toxics, organized to take a stand against this facility. On Sept. 30, 2024, we appealed the City of Eugene’s zone verification decision to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals on the basis that the zoning is inconsistent with the intended use of the space.

Read the USD Zone Verification Comment Letter submitted by Beyond Toxics - Dec. 11, 2024 (PDF)

Our voices were heard
After hearing the community’s concerns, the City revoked its verification of the zone for reconsideration in October, opening a 90-day period of review. In early December, it opened an official public comment period, and community members weighed in on the issue (see media coverage below). The city will either reverse, modify, or affirm its zone verification decision by January 16, 2025.