Clean up continues this week in Pike County following a train derailment last week that resulted in a chemical and diesel fuel spill.
Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Spokesman John Mura said the amount of ethanol and fuel in the Russell Fork waterway was not sufficient enough to impact drinking water.
“We have taken every precaution and we now know there was not a lot of material that went into the water and one thing that worked in everybody’s favor was the water was flowing very quickly.”
The CSX train derailed last Thursday morning after hitting a large patch of mud on the track. Six cars including three locomotives and three tankers derailed. Mura noted crews are working to firm up the hillside. Mura added new rock and soil will be added to stabilize the mountainside. The state official said the topography creates challenges in the cleanup, but crews are progressing well with the effort.?
Mura noted hopefully most of the cleanup will be completed by week’s end.
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