WV Derailment, Explosion, Fire; One of Many

CSX Ordered to Clean-up the Areas Impacted by WV Train Derailment

Press Release, US EPA (David Sternberg), March 6, 2015

Philadelphia, PA - CSX has agreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up and restore the areas affected by the February 16 train derailment in Mount Carbon, W. Va. Twenty-seven cars derailed from the 109-car CSX train carrying more than three million gallons of crude oil from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota. The derailment resulted in an explosion, fires, loss of a house and required nearby residents to evacuate.

The settlement signed by CSX and EPA was filed on March 3 and replaces EPA’s order for cleanup and restoration issued last week on February 27. Within the next 21 days, CSX has agreed to submit a comprehensive long-term plan for cleaning up and restoring areas impacted by the derailment.

CSX has committed significant resources to respond to the derailment and has worked closely with the Unified Command at the scene. Under the agreement CSX will continue the shorter-term cleanup efforts that are already underway. This includes air and water monitoring and testing; recovering oil from Armstrong Creek, the Kanawha River and their tributaries and shorelines; and educating residents about the potential effects from the incident including potential health threats, protective measures, wildlife preservation, and claims and notification procedures.

“The agreement between CSX and EPA provides a framework within which CSX can work, with oversight from EPA and West Virginia, to ensure that oil contamination from the derailment in Mount Carbon continues to be safely contained and that long lasting impacts are mitigated to protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.

EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection have worked closely together to ensure proper cleanup and minimize any immediate or lasting environmental impacts.

The initial emergency response was conducted under a Unified Command with federal, state and local agencies and CSX responding. The response was conducted during and affected by harsh winter weather conditions. The residents were able to return to their homes in six days after being evacuated. Clearance for their return was based on verification from consistent monitoring and testing of air, drinking water and surface water. The roadway and the railroad track are now open.

The agreement is available here:

>>>>>>>>>>

National Public Radio Report (Listen to the Interview)

Crude Oil Volatility Excessive in WV Unit Train Derailment, Explosions & Fires

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: Dangerously high levels of combustible gas – that’s what tests show about the crude oil in the freight train that derailed in West Virginia late last month. Dozens of train cars burst into flame and exploded into huge fireballs. No one was killed, but 200 people from nearby towns were forced to flee their homes. The fire burned for more than three days. The train was carrying crude from North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields and Russell Gold, who covers energy for The Wall Street Journal, has seen a lab report analyzing that oil. He joins me now – welcome to the program.

BLOCK: Russell Gold, what does that lab report show?

GOLD: Well, the lab report, which was a test of the crude oil in North Dakota, showed that it had a vapor pressure of about 13.9 pounds per square inch, which is very, very high for oil. Most oils or average oil might be somewhere around six pounds per square inch. That’s actually above – a new state rule says you can’t ship oil if it’s above 13.7.

So when North Dakota adopted this rule right at the end of last year, there were a lot of people that said we’re glad you’re regulating this, but it’s very high. Can’t you make it lower? And what’s really remarkable is that the oil in the train that derailed in West Virginia was even higher than that standard.

>>>>>>>>>>

Oil cars catch fire as freight train derails in Illinois

From an Article of the Quad City Times, March 5, 2015

Galena, Illinois — At least two oil tank cars continued to burn late Thursday after they derailed in a rural area about 3½ miles south of this Jo Daviess County community of 3,429, a spokesman for the railroad said.

Andy Williams, public affairs director for Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, said five cars from the 105-car train derailed about 1:05 p.m. Of the 105 cars, he said, 103 were filled with Bakken crude oil, while two cars at each end of the train were filled with sand as buffers.

Of the five that landed on their side, two ignited, Williams said.