NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. β An environmental group is sounding the alarm after a freight train carrying coal derailed in a remote area of New Kent County over the weekend, spilling thousands of tons of coal and thousands of gallons of diesel fuel near the Chickahominy River.
The James River Association has expressed serious concerns about the environmental impact of the spill, calling it a "punch in the gut" for conservation efforts in the region.
βWe are deeply concerned about the impacts to the Chickahominy River, surrounding wetlands, and the people who work and live around the derailment site. The Chickahominy is a unique and critical tributary of the James River and the greater Chesapeake Bay, providing critical environmental benefits and habitat to plants and wildlife,β said Tom Dunlap, with the James River Association. βMany of the neighboring property owners have spent years or decades working on conservation practices to protect this area for the important resource that it is."
The environmental group noted that the affected area ranks among the top 3.5% of Virginia lands for ecological value. The Chickahominy River serves as a drinking water source for several communities, including Newport News.
Local News
PHOTOS: CSX train carrying coal derails in New Kent
Freight company CSX said it is coordinating cleanup efforts with the Environmental Protection Agency and Virginia environmental officials.
"Our primary focus continues to be on the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating potential risk to the environment," CSX officials said in a statement on Wednesday.
Officials said they have recovered roughly 4,000 of an estimated 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled when two locomotives derailed.
The cleanup of roughly 4,000 tons of coal from the 53 cars that derailed remains ongoing, officials said.
In addition, company officials said the site was contained with "fencing, booms and turbidity curtains to prevent potential migration of any petroleum products or suspended solids."
"Response crews have observed no new impacts to any nearby waterways," according to CSX officials.
There is no estimate yet on when the rail line, which was damaged in the incident, will be reopened.
The derailment caused Amtrak trains between Richmond and Newport News to be canceled.
"We remain committed to recovering the remaining equipment and product, repairing our infrastructure, and completely restoring the area," railroad company officials said.
There has been no word on what caused the train to run off the tracks around 3:10 p.m. on Saturday into the wetlands between Roxbury and South Mountcastle roads in Providence Forge.
WATCH: CSX works to clean up massive coal train derailment in Virginia
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
