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FRA Announces Cause of CSX crude oil derailment - Mt. Carbon, WV


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#31 CNJRoss

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 05:34 PM

WV DEP / Joint Information Center news release:

 

UPDATE 13 AND FINAL - WEST VIRGINIA TRAIN DERAILMENT RESPONSE
2/28/2015
MONTGOMERY, W. Va. — Response teams with the West Virginia Train Derailment Response Unified Command continue to make progress restoring the environment at the site of the February 16 incident.

As work continues, the response team is transitioning from an emergency phase into a restoration phase of activity. Emergency response personnel have begun leaving the site and some of the large equipment used in the first phase of the incident is being removed.

As of Thursday afternoon, February 26, rail operations through the area had resumed.

Response crews continue to remove excavated soils from the site for disposal at a licensed facility in Charleston, West Virginia. This phase of the cleanup will take approximately two weeks to complete, pending weather conditions.

To date, approximately 102,000 gallons of oily-water mixture have been recovered from containment trenches dug along the river embankment near the derailment site. The mixture will be removed to a disposal/oil recycling facility located in southwestern Pennsylvania. Approximately 82,000 gallons have been taken to the facility so far.

The 172,105 gallons of crude oil recovered from the rail cars that is currently being stored at CSX’s Handley Yard will be transferred into rail cars for transporting off-site.

Air monitoring will continue in work areas as well as along the site perimeter, to help ensure the safety of the community and the workers who continue restoration efforts. All air monitoring results are available for public review on the www.epaosc.org/CSXMtCarbonCrudeDerailment website.

“Our first priority is the safety of the community and the workers, and we’d like to remind folks who are driving in the area to be mindful of the increased truck traffic near the work zones,” said Dennis Matlock, Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “There will be flagmen working to help direct traffic for a few weeks.”

After visits by more than 1,000 area residents, CSX has closed the local Outreach Center that has been operating since February 17. CSX continues to be available to compensate any residents who evacuated their homes or who experienced an extended power outage due to the incident. Residents can request compensation by mailing a letter that includes name, home address (P.O. Boxes are not accepted), phone number, social security number and a photocopy of his/her driver’s license to the following address:

CSX Transportation
Attention: Mount Carbon Accident Response Team
935 7thAvenue
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 through mail usually takes approximately 4-6 weeks.

Residents with questions can call CSX at 1-877-TellCSX (1-877-835-5279).

The Joint Information Center will close at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 28. Media questions can be directed to the Public Information Officers listed below for additional information.

For environmental questions, please contact:
• Trish Taylor, U.S. EPA Public Information Officer, at: (215) 814-5539
• Kelley Gillenwater, WV DEP Public Information Officer, at: (304) 561-8996

For information about the investigation into the derailment, please contact:
• Kevin Thompson, Assoc. Administrator for Communications and Legislative Affairs, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), at (202) 309-6403
For railroad operation questions, please contact:
• Rob Doolittle, CSX Director, Communications and Media Relations, at: (202) 626-4939


#32 CNJRoss

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 07:58 PM

US EPA news release:

 

EPA Orders CSX to Clean up Areas Impacted by West Virginia Train Derailment

 

Release Date: 02/27/2015

 

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 27, 2015) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered CSX to clean-up and restore the areas affected by the Feb. 16 train derailment in Mt. 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 EPA order follows an emergency response conducted under a Unified Command with federal, state and local agencies and CSX responding.

Under EPA's order, CSX must first develop and submit a comprehensive plan for all the 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. The plan must include short-term and long-term cleanup and restoration.

 

EPA has closely coordinated with the State of West Virginia on the order and will continue to work closely with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies to ensure proper cleanup and to minimize any immediate or lasting environmental impacts of the derailment.

 

Specifically CSX must:

*Continue air and water monitoring and testing;

*Contain and recover oil on Armstrong Creek, the Kanawha River and their tributaries and the adjoining shorelines;

*Regularly inspect the boom located along the river to capture the residual oily water as ice continues to melt;

*Maintain the integrity of the metal sheet pile wall that creates a barrier between the rail line and the Kanawha River to allow the recovery of oil to continue;

*Provide education to residents about the potential effects from the incident including potential health threats, protective measures, wildlife preservation, and claims and notification procedures;

*Conduct long-term monitoring of Armstrong Creek, the Kanawha River and their adjoining shorelines to detect oil that may be discharged from area facilities;

*Report to EPA and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on progress and confirm compliance with the approved plan;

*Respond immediately, if another threat to public health or welfare occurs while implementing the order; and

*Conduct long–term monitoring for air quality and testing for ground water, surface water and shorelines to ensure that the cleanup and restoration

 

remain effective.

The response was conducted under 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. The roadway and the railroad track are now open.

 

The order is available here: http://epaosc.org/si...ative Order.pdf



#33 CNJRoss

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Posted 09 March 2015 - 10:39 PM

ProgressiveRailroading.com, 3/9:

 
CSX, EPA reach agreement over derailment cleanup plan

CSX Transportation Inc. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached an agreement last week to clean up and restore areas affected by last month's train derailment and crude oil spill in Mount Carbon, W. Va.

The settlement signed by CSX replaces an earlier EPA order for cleanup and restoration, according to an EPA press release. The Class I has agreed to submit within 21 days a comprehensive, long-term plan for cleaning up and restoring the areas affected by the derailment.

 

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#34 CNJRoss

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Posted 08 October 2015 - 03:30 PM

MetroNews, Charleston, WV 10/8/15:

 

Feds to reveal cause of Fayette train derailment

 

MONTGOMERY, W.Va. — The derailment of a CSX tanker train at Mt. Carbon, W.Va. back in February was unlike anything local volunteer fire fighters had ever experienced.

 

“A derailment is kind of an animal unto itself, versus a car wreck or a structure fire,” said Montgomery Fire Department Chief Brent Musick.

 

“There’s just no comparison to that and anything we’ve run.  We’ve had some large structure fires, but nothing involving hazardous materials and things like that.”

 

Musick recalled learning of the fire when he received a call from the Chief of the Anderson Creek Volunteer Fire Department telling him a train had derailed and was on fire.  By the time Musick’s department arrived on scene, there was no way to fight the fire.

 

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#35 CNJRoss

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Posted 09 October 2015 - 11:12 AM

FRA news release, 10/9:

 

 

Federal Railroad Administration Announces Cause of Mount Carbon Derailment, Steps to Prevent Future Accidents

 

Will push for stronger track inspector training

Secures commitment from CSX to use improved technology to assist in inspections

 

 

Montgomery, W.Va. — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced the cause of the February 16, 2015 CSX/Plains All American derailment in Mount Carbon, W.Va. The accident resulted in 27 derailed cars, a fire that ignited immediately and eventually burned for days and the evacuation of hundreds of local residents.

 

FRA was the lead agency tasked with responding to and investigating the February accident. Following a thorough investigation, the FRA announced the cause of the derailment to be a broken rail, resulting from a vertical split head rail defect. The defect that eventually resulted in the derailment was missed by CSX, and their contractor, Sperry Rail Service, on two separate inspections in the months leading up to the accident.

 

In addition to announcing the cause of the derailment, FRA also provided a path forward to prevent similar rail-caused accidents in the future:

  • The agency announced it will release a Safety Advisory, which urges closer and more detailed inspections where defects and flaws are suspected, and stronger training for rail inspection vehicle operators
  • FRA announced it will explore the need for rail-head wear standards and potentially require railroads to slow trains or replace a rail when certain conditions pose a safety risk
  • FRA secured a commitment from CSX to require internal rail flaw operators to review previous inspection data alongside real-time data in order to assist in identifying conditions and flaws that have changed or worsened between inspections

“Our country relies on the safe transportation of large quantities of energy products across the nation, and it is our responsibility to require operators to implement strict safety standards,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “FRA’s findings and action today should make it clear to rail operators that we will do exactly that.”

 

The cause of the derailment – the vertical split head broken rail - was missed in at least two separate rail inspections in December 2014 and January 2015. Data from both inspections show evidence of the defect, but neither CSX or CSX’s contractor, Sperry Rail Service, discovered the defect which led to the broken rail. FRA has issued $25,000 fines against both CSX and Sperry Rail Service for failure to verify a potential rail defect.

 

The broken rail was also near the location of a previous broken rail discovered by an FRA inspector and repaired in May 2014.

 

“When we see a need for action, we will take it, and that is what FRA is doing today. Broken rail is one of the leading causes of accidents. Railroads moving crude and other hazardous materials through and alongside communities bear significant and special responsibility. All railroads, not just CSX, must be more diligent when inspecting for internal rail flaws or when contracting out inspection work,” said FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg. “This is just our latest effort to increase the safe transportation of crude and other energy products.”

 

Over the last two years, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken more than two dozen actions to improve the safety of the transport of crude and other flammable liquids. In May 2015, DOT released its final, comprehensive rule that raises the bar on the safe transportation of flammable liquids by rail. The rule requires stronger tank cars and a better, faster, more efficient braking system – electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes. ECP brakes can reduce the distance and time needed for a train to stop and keep more tank cars on the track in the event of a derailment. The DOT rule also supplements FRA’s actions to add an Automated Track Inspection Program car to inspect crude routes, focus track inspectors on crude routes via our CORETEX program, and secure voluntary agreements from railroads to inspect track more frequently than current regulations require.

 

 Read the Accident Findings Report: Accident Findings Report.

 

 

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#36 CNJRoss

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Posted 14 October 2015 - 03:03 PM

USDOT "Fast Lane" blog, 10/14:

 

FRA continues moving rail safety forward

Last February, a CSX train hauling tank cars filled with crude oil from North Dakota to a transportation terminal in Yorktown, Virginia, derailed near Mount Carbon, West Virginia. Numerous tankers exploded, sending up plumes of black smoke and igniting a fire that burned for days, destroyed one home, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

 

Our Federal Railroad Administration immediately responded to the derailment and began investigating. And last week, following that thorough investigation, the FRA announced that a broken rail caused this derailment. The broken rail itself resulted from what the rail industry calls a vertical split head rail defect, a defect that CSX and its contractor, Sperry Rail Service, failed to identify during two separate inspections in the months leading up to the accident.

 

But our work doesn't end when we determine the cause of a derailment; in fact, that's when the important, forward-thinking work of preventing future derailments begins.

 

IMG_0159.jpg
FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg making the announcement in Mt. Carbon.

 

So, in addition to identifying the derailment's cause --and assessing $25,000 fines against both CSX and Sperry Rail Service for failure to verify this potential rail defect-- the FRA announced it will release a Safety Advisory, which urges closer and more detailed inspections where defects and flaws are suspected and stronger training for rail inspection vehicle operators. FRA also will explore the need for rail-head wear standards and potentially requiring railroads to slow trains or replace a rail when certain conditions pose a safety risk.

 

The FRA has also secured a commitment from CSX to require internal rail flaw operators to review previous inspection data alongside real-time data to help them identify conditions and flaws that have changed or worsened between inspections.

 

As Acting FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg said in West Virginia, “When we see a need for action, we will take it, and that is what FRA is doing today. Broken rail is one of the leading causes of accidents. Railroads moving crude and other hazardous materials through and alongside communities bear significant and special responsibility. All railroads, not just CSX, must be more diligent when inspecting for internal rail flaws or when contracting out inspection work.”

oil-train.jpg

 

As Fast Lane readers know, America's economy and the way we live our lives rely on the safe transportation of large quantities of energy products across the nation.  Keeping communities safe as those products traverse the country has been a top priority for us at DOT, particularly for the Federal Railroad Administration and the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

 

Over the last 2 years, we have taken more than two dozen actions to improve the safety of how we transport crude oil and other flammable liquids, and last week's announcement by the FRA is just our latest step in this ongoing safety effort.

 



#37 CNJRoss

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Posted 20 October 2015 - 06:09 PM

The Register-Herald, Beckley, WV 10/20:

 

CSX lawsuit moves to federal court

 

 

A lawsuit against CSX and its subsidiary CSX Transportation resulting from February's Mt. Carbon derailment was moved to a federal court in Huntington recently at the railroad's request, prior to its filing a motion to dismiss.

 

The dismissal request came just days before the Federal Railroad Administration released a report stating the derailment was preventable and CSX and its contractor, Sperry Rail Service, twice failed to detect a broken rail, resulting from a vertical split head defect.

 

Corporations favor the conservative federal courts which are more prone to grant dismissals and summary judgments than state courts.

 

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#38 CNJRoss

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Posted 25 July 2018 - 09:22 AM

The Hill, Washington, DC 7/24/18:
 

Railroad company settles for $2.2 million over fiery derailment and oil spill

 

 

A railroad operator is settling with the government for $2.2 million in penalties over the 2015 derailment of an oil tanker in a small West Virginia town that spilled thousands of gallons of oil and burst into flames.

 

CSX Transportation will pay the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) $1.2 million in penalties and will pay the state of West Virginia $1 million for state and federal water pollution violations related to the oil spill in Mount Carbon, W.Va., officials announced Tuesday.

 

The February 2015 derailment of 109 railcars carrying nearly 29,000 in Bakken crude oil led to explosions, property destruction and hundreds of resident evacuations.

 

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