MT. CARBON, W.Va., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- All railcars impacted by last week's oil-train derailment in West Virginia have been removed and rail traffic through the area has resumed, responders said.
About a dozen of the 28 cars on a CSX line that derailed near Mt. Carbon, W. Va., last week were carrying crude oil. All told, that would be the equivalent of about 8,000 barrels of oil on board if filled.
A unified command set up by rail company CSX, local, state and federal authorities said all of the railcars impacted by the derailment were removed from the site, allowing rail operations through the area to resume under caution.
The unified command said an additional barrier was set up between the tracks and the Kanawha River to prevent surface run-off.
"The wall will remain in place until state cleanup standards are met," responders said in a late Thursday updated.
About 4,000 barrels of crude oil were recovered from derailed cars and another 2,300 barrels of an oily-water mixture were removed from the impacted site to date.
The cars carrying crude oil were newer CPC-1232 models. Derailments involving older cars designated DOT-111 raised concerns about the safety of carrying crude oil by rail. A briefing Monday from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration found CPC-1232 were "marginally" better than older cars.
Federal investigators will remain at the site to determine a possible cause of the accident.
