CSX agrees to pay $379k in Lynchburg train derailment

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Roanoke Times, from the Lynchburg News & Advance

Posted: Monday, February 23, 2015 11:17 am

Lynchburg News & Advance staff reports

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality said Monday that CSX Transportation Inc. has agreed to pay a little more than $379,000 in fines and reimbursement in connection with last year's train derailment in Lynchburg. ... A 105-car CSX oil train derailed April 30 near Ninth Street downtown, sending three cars and nearly 30,000 gallons of Bakken shale crude oil into the James River as well as igniting a large fire on the water. No one was injured.

The total dollar amount of $379,574.85 is the sum of a $361,000 civil fine plus reimbursement to DEQ totaling $18,574.85 for investigating the oil discharge. Approximately 98 percent of the more than 29,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from a leaked tanker was consumed by a subsequent fire, DEQ said. ... "In addition, CSX will complete restoration of the James River bank in the area of the derailment and conduct monitoring of the river to determine if there are any long-term environmental impacts from the incident," DEQ said in a news release.
....

The public has until March 25 to submit comments regarding the agreement, called a consent order, between the state and CSX before the order goes to the State Water Control Board for final approval. ... DEQ Enforcement Specialist Robert Steele will accept comments by e-mail at [e-mail], fax at [phone], or postal mail at 3019 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke, VA 24019 from Feb. 23 through March 25.

More information is available online at: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Enforcement/PublicNotices.aspx

Read more: http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/csx-agrees-to-pay-k-in-lynchburg-train-derailment/article_f28296ff-7f6e-5b3c-b6a7-794cdb45feb9.html

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It's sort of stretching the concept of LBN to post an announcement of a settlement, but my rationale is that the derailment itself made the nightly television news on all three broadcast networks.

ETA: full disclosure: I own shares of CSX. I post things like this regardless of any effect posting them has on my personal finances. It's news, so there you go.

Please head over to the Economy Forum to see more oil train articles. Thanks.

[crazylikafox]

1. lunch money...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Derailment fallout: Virginia penalizes CSX for oil spill; RESPONSE Act re-enters Congress

Derailment fallout: Virginia penalizes CSX for oil spill; RESPONSE Act re-enters Congress

2/25/15

....
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) yesterday reintroduced the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Act (S. 546), which aims to improve emergency preparedness and training for first responders, and provide necessary support to help emergency personnel better respond to crude train derailments and other incidents involving hazardous materials. Identical legislation (H.R. 1043) was introduced in the House by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.).

In the wake of last week’s CSX crude train derailment near Mount Carbon, W.Va., and other similar accidents in recent years – including a BNSF Railway Co. derailment near Casselton, N.D., in December 2013 – Heitkamp has been pursuing legislation to prioritize support for first responders and make sure they have the necessary tools and skills when responding to haz-mat incidents on rails, she said in a press release.

The RESPONSE Act would create a Federal Emergency Management Agency public-private council that would bring together emergency responders, federal agencies and leading experts to review training and best practices for first responders. The council would provide recommendations to Congress on how to address first responders’ needs.

"We have to make sure first responders in our communities are prepared to handle any potential incidents, like derailments, that may occur to help keep families safe," said Heitkamp. "If dangerous situations like that derailment and subsequent explosion near Casselton, or the recent incident in West Virginia occur, our first responders need to have the training and skills to control the situation and respond as effectively as possible."