A park in west Eugene that’s partially closed to the public because of mysterious toxins in the ground is in line for $1.5 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean it up.
Trainsong Park was originally found to have dioxin-contaminated soil more than two years ago. The city and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality say it’s not from a nearby shuttered wood-treatment plant.
“It could be anything from someone dumped something to, there was, someone burned something super toxic in this spot and it made this hotspot. Right?” said Emily Proudfoot with Eugene Parks & Planning. “Like a backyard burning or a fire of some sort. I mean, we’ll be able to glean more information from the testing that we get.”

Proudfoot said the project is prioritized for an EPA brownfield cleanup grant. There’s still some work to do before the money is secured.
The DEQ will help the city implement the cleanup including removal of the dioxin contamination from the park.
Dioxins are a group of chemicals formed during industrial processes, including bleaching for pulp and papermaking. They’re also used in some wood treatment formulations and can be generated during burning of organic materials, including wildfires.
Proudfoot told KLCC formal government agreements have to be finalized before funding is awarded and work can begin. The hope is that remediation work can start in 2025. The City of Eugene says U.S Rep. Val Hoyle, Active Bethel Citizens, and the Eugene-based nonprofit Beyond Toxics helped procure the funding.