15 rail cars derail in Plumas County, spill coal into the Feather River, officials say
By Web Staff
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PLUMAS COUNTY, California (KCRA) — California officials said a train derailed in Plumas County on Sunday and spilled coal into the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
The freight train was carrying 118 tons of coal, with all cars fully loaded, when 15 of the cars derailed with at least one car ending up in the river, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said.
Union Pacific confirmed the 6:45 a.m. derailment occurred on its freight train.
In an update Monday morning, Cal OES said that 13 of the 15 derailed released coal. There were no injuries, fatalities or evacuations. The officials determined the cause of the derailment to be a track defect.
California’s Office of Spill Prevention said officials will assess how much coal was spilled. The officials stated that the coal is not expected to have any significant aquatic toxic impacts in the short term, but “it can potentially have smothering effects on the organisms in the river.”
As the cleanup operations continue on Monday, biologists are assessing potential ecological impacts and implementing impact avoidance and minimization measures as part of the response, the Office of Spill Prevention said.
State officials initially said on Sunday that 14 cars had derailed before the number was updated to 15.
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