Train derailment kills hundreds of fish in Chelsea-Westover area
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 27, 2006
The cleanup for a train derailment that killed hundreds of fish in the Chelsea-Westover area should be completed by today, according to the Alabama Department of Environ-mental Management.
A train owned by CSK Transportation derailed May 29, sending pounds of soybean grain in a Yellowcreek tributary on Shelby County 439, also called Liberty Road.
&8220;We are monitoring the situation very closely,&8221; said Jerome Hand, ADEM spokesperson. &8220;We want to make sure everything is done properly.&8221;
The grain itself is normally not harmful, however, so much was spilled that it sucked much of the oxygen out of the water.
Heavy rains last week carried to grain farther downstream, killing more wildlife.
&8220;It was a significant kill, and it will takes weeks to evaluate the impact,&8221; said Jerry Moss, supervisor for District III of the Alabama Fisheries Office. &8220;It will be a large number of fish killed for at least 10 miles.&8221;
The train derailed May 29, but CSX Transportation did not report the spill to ADEM until June 1.
Efforts to contact CSX Transportation prior to publication were not successful.
CSX Transportation is cleaning the creek, with the help of several hired environmental crews.
Cleanup involves dropping fresh water from above, while draining the soybean satiated water from below.
After a final dead fish count is made, the state&8217;s attorney general&8217;s office will charge CSX for each fish.
&8220;Each fish has a value, whether it&8217;s 10 cents or $10 or more,&8221; said Moss