Abandoned dump found at development

An old abandoned dump site was discovered at the proposed Hayden Homes subdivision just north of Sisters Middle School.

In addition to logging cables, logging camp trash such as syrup containers and old bottles, scrap metal, tires, cans, and things that would be generated by a railroad or trucking operation, about 50 barrels were discovered in two locations, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

There does not appear to be any dangerous material or threat to public health, according to Toby Scott, Project Manager with the Environmental Cleanup program of the DEQ.

The barrels analyzed so far contained petroleum distillates including “Bunker C” oil, used as fuel by steam engines. They probably date to the days when a railroad hauled logs out of the forest near Sisters to Bend and steam “donkeys” were used in the woods.

While the barrels exceed DEQ standards for “caustic ph,” regulations will allow them to be neutralized on site. There will be additional testing. In any case, even after neutralization, the barrels will be transported to a licensed landfill.

Hayden Homes “self-reported” the dump site and has been working with the DEQ on cleanup.

Complicating the situation somewhat was the fact that the property is not owned by Hayden Homes, which had hired Northwest Geotech of Wilsonville to do the site work and which reported the barrels.

Deschutes County property records show the parcel still owned by the “12/30/66 Trust LLC.” According to Oregon Secretary of State business registration records, the “12/30/66 Trust LLC” is a trust controlled by the Sam Wheeler family of Portland, Oregon. Trust representative John C. Wheeler could not be reached.

There are no records showing a recent sale of the property.

However, on Monday, May 23, the DEQ did receive a “letter to participate in the voluntary cleanup,” from the trust, according to DEQ’s Scott.

“We will be sending out an agreement for them to sign and then we (the DEQ) will be providing oversight to any further testing and clean-up, with the end goal of providing a ‘no further action,’ letter,” Scott said.

The “no further action” designation would follow a public comment period, he said.

Of the 50 or so barrels, 45 were found lined up in a trench not far from the road and were in pretty good shape, according to Scott. The majority were pretty full of Bunker C. A few of the 45 were damaged during removal. It does not appear that the dump penetrated the “hard pan” layer of sandstone that protects the area’s water supply.

The other barrels were not in the same place as the original.

“We do not have data on those,” said Scott.

It is not likely that there is any contamination from the more dangerous, “chlorinated” solvents that came into use in later decades. These were both more modern than the dumpsite appears to be and were more expensive to use for logging operations that were located in this area.

Steve Day, Principal Environment Engineer for Northwest Geotech, referred all questions to Hayden Homes. Hayden Homes representatives did not return calls to their office in Redmond.

Of the site, Scott of the DEQ said that “there is a lot of stuff out there.” In addition to the approximately 50 drums that were uncovered, “there’s been probably 10,000 cubic yards of soil and solid wasted that have been excavated.”

Huge piles of soil are on site covered with plastic. Scott indicated that the piles contain soil sorted according to contamination “depending on various characteristics, such as visual and smells.” A berm shields the area where the barrels, now placed in outer plastic containers to prevent possible contamination, now sit.

Given that this is going to become a residential neighborhood, Scott anticipated that “the vast majority will be going off site.”

Scott said that after receiving the agreement from the property owner, the DEQ will get more involved. He said that the nearby city well needs to be factored in. Soil sampling will dictate what additional measures are needed.

Much of the work has been done or will continue to be done by Hayden Homes’consultant firm Northwest Geotech.

“DEQ sometimes does its own sampling, but only if we had concerns about the data or are potentially taking some kind of enforcement action. Generally there are enough checks and balances,” said Scott.

“I can’t say when the soil piles will be taken off site, or the drums removed from the site, but I would guess that it would be within the next month,” Scott said.