MOUNT CARBON, W.Va., Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Fires in and around the scene of a oil-train derailment in West Virginia will be allowed to burn out on their own, rail company CSX said.
CSX said it was working with federal, state and local agencies to determine the exact number of cars that derailed in Mount Carbon, W. Va., early Monday afternoon. The train in question consisted of 109 rail cars with oil from North Dakota among some of the cargo.
"The company is working to contain oil found in a creek that runs parallel to CSX tracks, and water utilities on the nearby Kanawha River are taking precautions," the company said in a late Monday statement. "Fires around some of the cars will be allowed to burn out."
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin issued a state of emergency for the two counties near the site of the incident. Sarah Feinberg, acting administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration is en route to the scene along with a team of federal investigators.
"Once the site is secured, officials will begin the investigation into the cause of the derailment," the FRA said.
The train was carrying an undetermined amount of crude oil from the Bakken reserve area in North Dakota. The state Department of Military Affairs & Public Safety estimated that about a dozen of the cars were carrying crude oil, which would equate to approximately 8,000 barrels.
Fayette #WV derailment update: CSX train was heading east from North Dakota to Yorktown, #VA; involves 12-15 cars; carrying Bakken crude oil
— WVDMAPS (@WVDMAPS) February 16, 2015Crude oil production from North Dakota is more than the U.S. pipeline network can handle, forcing refiners to use rail. A report from the U.S. Energy Department said the amount of oil and petroleum products shipped on the U.S. rail system increased more than 10 percent year-on-year.
Minor injuries were reported and a number of area residents were displaced by the incident. One home was destroyed. CSX said it reserved hotel rooms for those people forced to evacuate their homes.
"Any business loss matters will be addressed as quickly as possible when the breadth of the impact can be assessed," the company said.
