Morning Lookout: Environmental testing downstream from J.H. Baxter

Good morning, Lookout Eugene-Springfield,

Families living near the J.H. Baxter Superfund site, several of whom have lost loved ones in recent years, have unresolved questions about contamination and ongoing risks to their health. As Ashli Blow reports, public records show chemicals were detected downstream from the facility, but regulators have yet to clearly explain findings from environmental testing.

We continue to build out our 2026 Voters Guide as Grace Chinowsky takes a look at the Ward 3 race for Eugene City Council between John Barofsky and Jennifer Smith.

Springfield has filled its City Council vacancy as members voted to appoint Jill Cuadros to fill the Ward 4 seat. At the same meeting, council members moved closer to implementing a payroll tax that is projected to raise nearly $2.5 million in its first year.

If it’s Wednesday, it means Taylor Goebel is making me hungry, again. This week she travels to Bethel to visit the food cart pod on Barger Drive, where she found a plethora of options, including a Colombian arapa, Indian naan and roti, a smashburger worth remembering, and some Tennessee southern biscuits. I worked really hard not to make “Y’all” part of my vocabulary during my Southern swing, but I might need to give Hey Y’all a try.

Stories you might have missed Tuesday:

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My neighbor is a Superfund site: J.H. Baxter’s pollution lingers near thousands

By Ashli Blow

Families living near the J.H. Baxter Superfund site, several of whom have lost loved ones in recent years, have unresolved questions about contamination and ongoing risks to their health. Public records show chemicals detected downstream from the facility, but regulators have yet to clearly explain findings from environmental testing.

Eugene City Council Ward 3 | John Barofsky vs. Jennifer Smith

By Grace Chinowsky

This year’s contest is the first contested race in Ward 3 since 2018, and the only council contest in the 2026 election cycle between two nonincumbents.