MONTGOMERY, W.Va. – The West Virginia Train Derailment Unified Command continues its recovery, response and clean-up efforts in the vicinity of the incident near Mount Carbon, Thursday.
In conjunction with federal, state and local organizations on-scene, CSX began re-railing operations on Wednesday to remove the derailed cars that have not been involved in the fires.
Six rail cars were re-railed for removal by recovery crews from the incident site. They also commenced oil transfer operations from the damaged rail cars Wednesday and will continue transfer operations until the product is safely removed.
“Safety remains the first priority of the command, with intense focus on community safety and protecting responding personnel,” said Coast Guard Capt. Lee Boone, response Federal On Scene Coordinator. “The unified command is working to ensure the safety of the community before making the decision to allow residents to return to their homes, and doing so as soon as possible.”
A small ground fire continued to burn overnight.
Environmental protection measures are in place on land, air and in both Armstrong Creek and the Kanawha River. Air and water monitoring are ongoing, and results continue to demonstrate no impact to the air quality or the Kanawha River. No rail cars entered the Kanawha River in this incident.
The Unified Command is working with the Red Cross to address residents’ needs, taking into account winter storm conditions. The outreach center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Glass-In Riverside Room at the Glen Ferris Inn on U.S. Route 60 in Glen Ferris. Local residents can call 1-877-Tell-CSX (1-877-835-5279) for additional information or assistance.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. For all inquiries regarding the investigation contact Federal Railroad Administration at 202-309-6403.
Additional updates will be provided, as more information is available.