MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. –The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) provided an update on the train derailment in Mercer County on Tuesday.
In a release, it said they are actively monitoring and coordinating the response to Tuesday’s train derailment near the West Virginia-Virginia border in the East River.
They said the train had consisted of 129 cars, 13 of which derailed. Officials did confirm that one car entered the stream carrying gas-powered and electric vehicles. Officials believe that car should be removed from the water by Thursday. All other cars are secure and ready to be removed from the site.
They stated that as of Wednesday there has been no sheen observed on the water’s surface, but as a precaution, environmental crews have deployed containment booms to protect the water.
One of the derailed cars, was carrying approximately 200,000 gallons of soybean oil, which did release an estimated 14,000 gallons onto the surrounding soil. None of the oil entered the stream.
DEP said the leak has since been patched and the spill has been successfully contained.
They are working close with Norfolk Southern to ensure that the appropriate removal and remediation of impacted soil and to continue monitoring in the stream.
More information will be released as it becomes available.