Agencies working to clean up a 15-car Union Pacific Railroad derailment near Sloat report beginning significant in-river work Feb. 22 due to a break in the weather, which they hoped would allow the final rail car and coal to be removed. The work will continue through the week and utilize heavy equipment, according to a spokesperson representing the cleanup coordinated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Union Pacific.
For safety purposes, the public should avoid the Middle Fork Feather River between the Camp Layman Bridge and the Sloat Road Bridge. Signage has been placed to warn water enthusiasts, and a notification will be made once this safety advisory is lifted, the agencies reported.
The agencies have observed no impacts to fish or wildlife. Monitoring will continue, they reported.
The Feb. 11 train derailment near Blairsden involved 15 cars, called gondolas, carrying coal that derailed near the Middle Fork. Efforts are ongoing to remove one remaining gondola from the river, and crews continue operations for on-land and in-water coal recovery, which have been impacted by adverse weather conditions. Rail operations resumed Feb. 13.
Steady progress has been made to collect the spilled coal. While most will be transported via rail for disposal, a small amount of truck traffic off Sloat Road is anticipated in the coming days to remove a small coal stockpile staged in that area.
There are no road closures related to site remediation at this time, but agency personnel encourage the public to take an alternative route if traveling in the area, if available, as trucks, equipment and trailers may in operating near the work site. “We apologize to pedestrians and motorists for the inconvenience and disruption this may cause,” they said.
Information submitted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Union Pacific Railroad
