The J.H. Baxter Saga

After years of community organizing, a notorious polluter is shut down

After decades of polluting West Eugene neighborhoods, creosote manufacturer J.H. Baxter abandoned operations in January 2022, facing extensive fines from the Department of Environmental Quality and plenty of public backlash.
Since then, government agencies and local organizations have been working together to assess and remediate contamination at the site and surrounding areas.

Latest Update

At the end of December, EPA public affairs specialist Alice Corcoran outlined what’s next for the J.H. Baxter Superfund site:

  • EPA sampling in January 2026 will identify areas with worst contamination to determine if any additional removal work is required

  • More sampling will begin in spring or summer 2026

  • As sampling plans are developed, the need to sample additional residential properties will be evaluated

J.H. Baxter president Georgia Baxter-Krause was also released from a Washington state federal penitentiary following her 90-day sentence for Clean Air Act violations.

Next Steps

EPA performs a Remedial Investigation & Feasibility Study 

  • The investigation includes a Human Health Risk assessment and Environmental Risk Assessment

  • Soil sampling will continue to determine the boundary of the Superfund Site beyond the J.H. Baxter property line

These inform the Proposed Plan for cleanup, which will be open for public comment upon completion.

EPA creates a Community Involvement Plan

  • EPA will interview community members and create a plan for involvement. This plan will be open for public comment as well.

  • Community meetings will be held throughout the process

  • Opportunity to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant, to hire a technical advisor to review plans & reports

View the presentation from the EPA community meeting.
Before TCRA operations - looking southwest
Before TCRA operations - looking south
After TCRA operations - the boiler room was removed after this image was captured (looking west)
Post TCRA final view - looking east
Photos and captions courtesy of EPA

In 2025

In January 2025, we learned that the company and its president Georgia Baxter-Krause pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and making false statements to regulatory agencies. She and the company agreed to pay $1.5 million in criminal fines, and would receive a federal prison sentence on April 22, which happened to be Earth Day.

Beyond Toxics joined West Eugene community members at the Lane County Federal Courthouse that Earth Day to witness the sentencing.

While the sentencing and fines feel like a slap on the wrist for a president and company that had been operating for 80 years, there is a silver lining: Baxter saw some accountability, and the community is receiving the help it needs to begin to heal.

There are currently two class-action lawsuits awaiting trial in the U.S. District Court.

A Brief Timeline of the J.H. Baxter Saga

2004: Lane Regional Air Protection Agency logs more than 700 complaints from 100 households alleging sickness from fumes coming from J.H. Baxter.

2007: A three-year study encompassing 14,694 West Eugene households finds a pattern of lung cancer and acute leukemia near J.H. Baxter.

2018: J.H. Baxter fined for mishandling and improper storage of hazardous waste. 

2019: J.H. Baxter found responsible for release of hazardous levels of naphthalene, a chemical commonly used in wood treatment.

2020: Beyond Toxics launches pilot air quality study with Oregon State University Northwest Center for Translational Environmental Health Research.

2021: DEQ fines J.H. Baxter for hazardous waste and water quality violations.

2022: Air quality study concludes with data showing elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), known air pollutants found in creosote which is used to treat wood.

January 2022: J.H. Baxter ceases operations, citing an inability to pay for site cleanup or additional testing. Oregon DEQ declares J.H. Baxter an Orphan Site.

January 2024: DEQ begins cleanup of residential properties in West Eugene.

April 2025: J.H. Baxter President Georgia Baxter-Krause pleads guilty to criminal charges and is sentenced to 90 days in federal prison.

July 2025: J.H. Baxter site added to EPA National Superfund Priority List.

Beyond Toxics and West Eugene Community members are continuing to advocate for Public Health Standards, to protect future generations of Eugenians from having to deal with similar situations.
View more about our Public Health Standards initiative.