Railroad settles Mississippi River oil spill claim

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

IOWA CITY (AP) — A railroad has agreed to pay $625,000 to settle allegations that it failed to adequately clean up a 2008 oil spill that damaged the shoreline and aquatic life in the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin.

The Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific, would make the payment without admitting wrongdoing to resolve a civil complaint filed Tuesday by the state of Iowa and the U.S. government. The settlement, known as a consent decree, would cover the cost of assessing damage and pay for restoration activities. It's expected to go into effect after a 30-day public comment period.

The case stems from a derailment that happened July 9, 2008, when a boulder dislodged by heavy rains tore up a section of the track on the river near Guttenberg, Iowa. Four diesel locomotives crashed into the river and were submerged and leaked oil for several days. Two workers suffered minor injuries.

The complaint alleges that those engines leaked 4,400 gallons of diesel oil and other petroleum products, causing floating slicks of oil and oil sheen along a 10-mile stretch. The area of the river, known as the Bluff Slough, is across from Cassville, Wisconsin.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/money/railroad-settles-mississippi-river-oil-spill-claim/article_124b7860-8090-11e4-a785-6bac013cd41e.html

[rpannier]

1. They should be required to admit responsibility

Getting tired of letting them not admit responsibility
They use it down the road to show their wonderful environmental record