***Update as of 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2015***
My staff continues to be available to assist those in need. Today, members of my team visited City Hall in Montgomery and met with members of the Red Cross. They also spoke with National Guardsmen at Valley High School while they were preparing to transport water for distribution.
To contact my office, please call:
• Charleston office: 304-347-5372
• Martinsburg office: 304-262-9285
Shelter locations:
Those who have been impacted by the train derailment and are in need of a hotel or other services should call 1-877-835-5279 and dial 3 to speak with a CSX representative. This line is operational from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. More details here: http://bit.ly/1FZjaK0
The Montgomery Fire Department is also available to assist at 304-442-5139.
Precautionary Boil Water Advisory:
West Virginia American Water has restored water service to all customers and a precautionary boil water advisory remains in effect for customers in the Montgomery system. More details here: http://on.fb.me/1zP5QT7
Unified Command Established:
A unified command has been established in response to the train derailment. The unified command consists of the Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, CSX, the West Virginia Departments of Environmental Protection and Military Affairs & Public Safety, including the National Guard, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and local agencies. View the full press release HERE and below.
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February 18, 2015
Contact: Joint Information Center Email: wvtrainderailmentjic@gmail.com Office: (610) 453-4153 Mobile: (877) 835-5279 |
UNIFIED COMMAND ESTABLISHED FOR WEST VIRGINIA TRAIN DERAILMENT, RESPONSE CONTINUES
MONTGOMERY, W.Va. – The Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, CSX, the West Virginia Departments of Environmental Protection and Military Affairs & Public Safety, including the National Guard, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and local agencies established a unified command in response to the West Virginia Train Derailment near Mount Carbon on the Kanawha River, Monday.
“The top priorities for response personnel remain the safety of the community and responders, and mitigating the impact to the environment,” said Capt. Lee Boone, Federal On Scene Coordinator for the West Virginia Train Derailment.
Response crews are continuing to deploy environmental protective and monitoring measures on land, air and in the nearby Kanawha River as well as a creek near the tracks. The response crews were able to deploy about 500 feet of containment boom as a precautionary measure to limit potential impact on the environment. The use of additional boom material is being evaluated.
On-scene assessments have determined that 27 cars derailed and 19 were involved in fires. Response teams have removed the rail cars that were not involved in the derailment. Response teams are beginning to remove derailed cars that have not been involved in the fires. Several small fires continue to burn at the derailment site. When safe to do so, CSX will begin transferring oil from the damaged cars to other tanks for removal from the site.
No rail cars entered the Kanawha River in this incident.
The train consisted of two locomotives and 109 rail cars (107 tank cars and two buffer cars). It was traveling from North Dakota to Yorktown, Virginia. All of the tank cars were the CPC 1232 models.
One person was treated for possible respiratory problems and released, but no other injuries have been reported. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
A community outreach center has been established by CSX to address community needs as a result of the train derailment. The outreach center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Glass-In Riverside Room at the Glen Ferris Inn on U.S. Route 60 in Glen Ferris. Local residents can call 877-835-5279 for additional information or assistance.
A Joint Information Center has been established at the West Virginia Train Derailment Incident Command Post in Montgomery, West Virginia to disseminate response information for the incident.
The media is requested to use the phone numbers listed below for incident response inquiries and interviews:
1-877-TELL-CSX (1-877-835-5279) or 610-453-4153