MONTGOMERY, W. Va. —Response teams with the West Virginia Train Derailment Response Unified Command have started removing the impacted soil around the derailment site, Tuesday. Once complete, they will begin laying a new rail bed in order to rebuild the CSX railroad tracks.
Pumping operations to remove oil from the derailed tank cars were completed Monday night, with approximately 172,000 gallons of oil recovered directly from tank cars. Twelve rail cars from the derailment remain on-site and are positioned for removal once the railroad tracks are in place.
Response crews had also recovered a total of nearly 68,000 gallons of oily-water mixture from containment trenches dug along the river embankment near the derailment site as of Tuesday morning. The product and oily-water mixture is being transferred to CSX’s nearby Handley Yard. Response teams are following all federal oil-transfer guidelines to ensure safe operations.
“Response teams are safely working around the clock to restore the derailment scene and surrounding environment,” said Dennis Matlock, Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “We will continue to work diligently during our operations and recovery efforts until the site is fully restored.”
Environmental experts working with the Unified Command continue to monitor air and water samples to ensure the safety of the community and response teams. All monitoring reports to date show no impact to air quality, drinking water or public safety. Air and water quality reports are available online through the EPA website at:
http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=9762.
CSX continues to support the needs of Montgomery residents and those affected by the derailment through its community Outreach Center. The CSX Outreach Center returned to the Glen Ferris Inn location Monday, Feb. 23, to compensate residents who evacuated their homes and those who experienced an extended power outage (over 24 hours). The Outreach Center will be open 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. through Thursday and 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Friday.
Residents visiting the center are reminded to bring a form of identification (driver’s license or government ID) and AEP power bill. Residents are encouraged to bring any receipts documenting evacuation-related expenses. Households that experienced extended power outages must have the person whose name is on the bill present in order to receive compensation. If possible, only one household representative should come to check in at the Outreach Center.
Residents who are not able to visit the Outreach Center can request compensation by mailing a letter that includes name, home address (P.O. Boxes not accepted), phone number, social security number and a photocopy of your driver’s license to the following address:
CSX Transportation
Attention: Mount Carbon accident response team
935 7th Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
CSX will respond with an information package including further instructions, how to provide additional wage information and paperwork for itemizing damages. Compensation via mail usually takes approximately 4-6 weeks.
Residents with questions who cannot reach the Outreach Center may contact 1-877-TellCSX (1-877-835-5279).
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