CSX Transportation Inc. has agreed with the EPA’s orders to clean up and restore the areas affected by a Feb. 16 train derailment in Mount Carbon, W. Va.
The derailment of 27 cars from the 109-car CSX train carrying more than three million gallons of crude oil from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota caused an explosion, the loss of a house, fires and forced the evacuation of nearby residents.
The settlement, signed March 3, replaces an order issued by the EPA for CSX to clean up and restore the affected area. CSX has agreed to submit a long-term clean-up plan within 21 days.
“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.
CSX, which has helped with the short term clean up at the site, will continue to do so. That 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.
The initial emergency response was conducted by federal, state and local agencies and CSX.
Residents were able to return to their homes six days after the evacuation, and the roadways and railroad track are now open.