J.H. Baxter Superfund site in Oregon

EPA is working to address contamination on and around the former J.H. Baxter wood treating facility in Eugene, Oregon.

Heavy equipment moving a large industrial tank.
EPA's completed its removal of tanks and chemicals in February 2026.
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Current status

At this site, EPA's removal program is addressing known, accessible source material, near-term exposure, and migration concerns, while the remedial program evaluates the broader site, groundwater, surface water and sediment, residential properties, and long-term cleanup alternatives (see Superfund Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study below).

Removal actions

Fall 2026 removal action

EPA has begun a second time-critical removal action to prevent potential hazardous substance releases from underground contamination that was exposed during the first removal action.

EPA mobilized to the site on September 14, 2026, and the work is expected to last into spring of 2027.

EPA conducted its first time-critical removal action at the facility in the summer of 2024. While that removal work reduced major immediate threats aboveground, it also identified additional contamination underground.

The removal of tanks and other structures during the removal action allowed EPA to safely sample beneath the former tank farm, retort areas, wood-treating drip pads, and drying shed.

Through the sampling at the end of the first removal action and additional sampling conducted in February 2026, EPA found additional sources of contamination in subsurface soils. The contaminants mainly consist of pentachlorophenol, petroleum-based carrier oils, creosote-derived constituents, and metals.

In addition to contamination found beneath many of the previous structures, EPA confirmed the former wood-treating drip pads themselves were contaminated and required removal.

EPA’s February 2026 sampling included additional surface and shallow subsurface soil sampling to evaluate the impact of contaminated soil at the site on stormwater. The results confirmed a present ongoing release of contamination from soil to stormwater, which requires the ongoing operation of the stormwater treatment system. Based on these results, EPA may implement targeted removal, capping, or stormwater diversion measures to address surface soil contamination to reduce reliance on active operation of the stormwater treatment system.

It is important to note that EPA temporarily lined, backfilled and covered the known sources of contamination at the end of the first removal action. There is no present threat to the community.

2024 removal action

The time-critical removal action that started in 2024 associated with the demolition and removal of the tanks and chemicals at the JH Baxter Superfund site was completed on February 13, 2026.  EPA’s contractor for that work has removed all site trailers and equipment from the site.

Abandoned buildings and tanks at former wood treating facility.
Mostly cleared dirt area where the former wood treating facility was located.
Before and after EPA's removal of tanks and chemicals that was completed in February 2026. Drag slider to reveal full images.

Superfund Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study

EPA awarded a 5-year contract to the EA/Northwind Joint Venture for the Remedial InvestigationAn investigation intended to gather the data necessary to: (1) determine the nature and extent of problems at the site; ( 2) establish cleanup criteria for the site; (3) identify preliminary alternative remedial actions; and (4) support the technical and cost analyses of the alternatives. and Feasibility StudyA study of a hazardous waste site intended to: (1) evaluate alternative remedial actions from technical, environmental, and cost effectiveness perspectives; (2) recommend the cost-effective remedial action; and (3) prepare a conceptual design , a cost estimate for budgetary purposes, and a preliminary construction schedule.. 

The purpose of the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study is to determine the extent and scope of contamination – which creates the boundary for the Superfund site – and to determine the best cleanup method.

EPA is working with the contractor to analyze existing data, determine the data gaps, and create the initial sampling plan. The need to sample any additional residential properties will be evaluated during this process.

EPA expects crews will begin sampling for the Remedial Investigation in the fall of 2026.

How long will it take?

We cannot predict how long the Remedial Investigation will take. The Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study phase for many Superfund sites can take up to a few years. However, every site is different and there is never a one-size-fits-all approach.

EPA’s Remedial Program will rely on existing data to inform sampling efforts. We are committed to conducting a thorough Remedial Investigation to understand the extent of the contamination.

Once the Remedial Investigation is complete, a Feasibility Study will be conducted to evaluate which technologies could be used to clean up the site. 

Next steps in the Superfund process

Once the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study is complete, EPA will release its Proposed Plan which summarizes the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study and announces EPA’s preferred method of cleanup – referred to as the preferred alternative. We will accept public comments on the Proposed Plan.

Once EPA receives and reviews feedback, we will select the final cleanup remedy. The final remedy will be published in a Record of Decision (or ROD) and remedial cleanup work will begin.

You can read more about each of these steps at Superfund cleanup process.

Background

From 1943 to 2022, J.H. Baxter treated wood products at their facility in West Eugene, Oregon. Environmental contamination from chemicals that were used to treat wood products, such as creosote and pentachlorophenol (also known as "penta" or PCP), have contaminated the soil and groundwater and are an ongoing concern for surrounding neighborhoods.

J.H. Baxter stopped operations at the site in January 2022. In 2024, EPA began removing tanks and chemicals from the site and demolishing remaining structures.

Also in 2024, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality cleaned up seven properties near J.H. Baxter in a portion of Eugene’s Bethel neighborhood. Cleanup involved excavating and disposing of contaminated soil and replacing it with clean soil. Visit DEQ's J.H. Baxter website for more information about the yard cleanups.

EPA added the site to its Superfund National Priorities List in July 2025 to address remaining environmental contamination.

Superfund listing

EPA added J.H. Baxter to the Superfund National Priorities ListEPA's list of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites identified for possible long-term remedial action under Superfund. The list is based primarily on the score a site receives from the Hazard Ranking System. (NPL) in a rulemaking published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2025.

Listing the site on the NPL helps secure a comprehensive and timely cleanup and provides access to critical federal funding. EPA received support for placing this site on the NPL from the state of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

Information explaining the basis for EPA's decision and public comments received during the proposed listing process are available in the public docket on Regulations.gov.

Read EPA's press release (7/7/2025).

Documents

Publicly available documents for this site, such as technical reports, legal documents, fact sheets, and other information, are available in EPA's electronic Superfund document repository at the links below.

Contacts

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Last updated on September 17, 2026