In the year that has passed since the incident, Norfolk Southern has spent nearly $4 million on its environmental response and to restore the area and waterways impacted by the incident. The company's site restoration activities were completed during the week of June 18.
The areas impacted by the incident have significantly recovered. Numerous fish, including native brook trout, have been observed in the portion of Portage Creek adjacent to and downstream of the derailment site. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocked trout in Portage Creek and the Driftwood Branch this past spring in the portions of these streams that historically have been stocked, and recent survey work conducted on the Driftwood Branch documents the presence of large numbers and diverse species of fish.
Following is a summary of the railroad's response efforts:
-- Removed more than 4,600 cubic yards of material containing residual
concentrations of sodium hydroxide from the east and west sides of the
track and replaced with clean material and topsoil;
-- Stabilized and restored sections of Portage Creek and Big Fill Hollow,
which included planting 290 wetland and upland trees, 368 wetland
shrubs, 1,944 live stake trees, and more than 5,000 individual wetland
grass sedges. In addition, nearly 1.5 acres of land were seeded and
mulched;
-- Conducted a survey of aquatic life in Portage Creek, which indicated
that it currently meets designated and existing uses as exceptional
value waters in accordance with regulatory criteria established by the
Department of Environmental Protection;
-- Installed 37 groundwater monitoring wells and 46 soil borings,
collected 5,300 pH and temperature readings from surface water and
seeps, and performed more than 6,000 conductivity tests to define the
extent of potential soil impacts, and
-- Tested more than 100 residential water sources in two separate sampling
periods, which in all instances confirmed that applicable standards
were being met.
Norfolk Southern is optimistic that all other proceedings connected to the June 30, 2006, incident will be resolved in the near future.
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, Canada, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. NS operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North America's largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.
