UPDATE:
This work is completed. All areas were released from the safety exclusion zone by approximately 12:00 noon today.
Environmental Health and Safety staff monitored all areas of restricted access and are pleased to report there were no issues with building occupants or campus community members intruding into the materials’ path of travel. Our contractor, Veolia, was able to complete their work efficiently and safely. A thank you to all for the attention, cooperation and support that facilitated a straightforward removal of two high risk, potentially unstable, chemicals from Klamath Hall.
Begin: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 10:00 am
End: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 1:30 pm
Building(s) or Area(s) Affected: Onyx Bridge Dock, Onyx Bridge, Onyx Bridge Hazardous waste facility, Allan Price Science Commons, Adjacent sidewalks, East Access point to Onyx Bridge.
Scope: Veolia, a contractor for Environmental Health and Safety, will be stabilizing a highly reactive material in preparation for disposal. The contractors’ work will occur within the hazardous waste facility at Onyx Bridge. Transport of the material from Klamath Hall to the facility will be controlled as a safety exclusion zone (purple areas on map below) by 10:00 am and is scheduled to be re-opened by 1.30 pm. Environmental Health and Safety staff will be on site for the activity, with UOPD staff available on-call. UO staff will control access along the sidewalk between Klamath Hall, Allan Price Science Commons, and Onyx Bridge while material is moved to the work site, at approximately 11:30 am – 12:30 pm; this includes an internal stairwell within Klamath Hall, adjacent building and exterior pathway access points. Emergency egress from adjacent buildings will remain available, as will fire lane access for emergency response vehicles, but entry into the safety exclusion zone by non-emergency vehicles or pedestrians will be prohibited. Temporary vehicle barriers will be positioned across the Klamath Dock and the connecting fire lanes. Temporary pedestrian barriers will be positioned across affected areas adjacent to the safety exclusion zones during the material movement phase. Once the material is safe within the Onyx Bridge Facility, restrictions on access to other areas will be eliminated.
Services Impacted:
- Southern end of second floor of Klamath Hall shall be inaccessible.
- Southern internal stairs in Klamath Hall shall be inaccessible.
- Onyx Bridge dock will be closed.
- Vendor deliveries will be re-directed to the Streisinger loading dock.
- Pedestrian traffic will be directed around the safety exclusion zone. The Stabilization Activity Exclusion Zone will be closed and staffed until Veolia leaves the site.
Work Performed By: Environmental Health and Safety, and waste disposal contractor Veolia.
Contact: Ben Bythell, SRS Chemical Safety Officer/Hazardous Materials Manager, 541-346-0371
Current construction and impacts information can be found on the UO Maps site.
