DEPOSIT - After a freight train derailed near Deposit last Thursday, efforts are being made to clean up the aftermath. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) was on-site the morning of the accident and is working to clean up diesel fuel spilled into the westbranch of the Delaware River by one of the train's locomotives.

According to the DEC, by Friday the fuel sheen was diminishing. DEC Spills and Emergency Management staff, as well as Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs), responded and were overseeing Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drone flights to survey impacts.

As of Monday morning, all engines have been righted and placed on rails. Removal of the freight cars continues. DEC Spills Response staff will continue to assess potential environmental impacts but there are currently no restrictions on the use of the river outside the immediate area of the incident.

The train was from the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway Corp. According to spokesperson Melanie Boyer, “The train consisted of 63 railcars, of which 38 are empty. There was one hazmat car containing corrosive liquid and 13 containing contaminated soil. None of the derailed cars carried hazardous material. There were two other commodities on the train, construction debris and non-hazmat soils.”

“The thirteen cars of hazmat that hold contaminated soil are soils containing very low levels of radioactive material from a clean up site. These cars are shipped in accordance with all federal regulations. There is no danger to the public from the shipment of these soils.”

“None of the cars containing hazmat were derailed and there were no releases or spills of hazmat material. Two of the cars that were derailed are partially submerged at one end in the west branch of the Delaware River, both cars were empty, not carrying freight. All of the fuel from one of the locomotives has leaked from the fuel tank, a second locomotive had a fuel tank leak that was contained. NYS&W has an environmental containment company working on the fuel cleanup.”

According to the DEC, the railroad company hired EP&S of Vermont, whose staff is on scene now deploying absorbent booms and pumping the remaining fuel out of the engines.

Heavy rains that washed out a culvert the night before caused the train derailment. The river is still high and moving fast.

DEC Spill Response continues to monitor the site. While righting one of the engines on Saturday, August 11, the engine's tank released additional fuel at the site. DEC is on site assessing potential environmental impacts. A slight sheen was detected at the Hale Eddy Road Bridge.? The rising river water may also be flushing spilled fuel out of vegetation.

Pads and absorbent materials were deployed and changed as necessary as crews continued to remove diesel from the ground near the engines. The environmental contractor hired by the railroad is conducting a bio-assessment of the river and taking water samples.

The National Park Service (NPS) on Thursday recommended that people not go swimming or come in contact with the water. On Friday, NPS assessment of the river was that high river flows have carried the fuel oil out of the park. Some very small, localized areas where river flows are slow may have some residual oil and, if observed, property owners are asked to notify the National Park Service by calling Superintendent Kris Heister at 570-729-8251 ext. 2225.

DEC ECOs and wildlife staff were able to catch one merganser and two Canada Geese that had been covered in fuel. The animals were cleaned with absorbent pads and transported to a wildlife rehabilitator for a thorough cleaning, care and eventual release. One Canada goose was found dead and was believed to have died as a result of the spill.

DEC encourages anyone that sees animals that may be suffering from fuel oil contamination in their fur or feathers to contact DEC at (844) DEC-ECOS.

Friends of the Upper Delaware River is also keeping an eye out on the aftermath of the fuel spill. In a press release they stated, “We need everybody who lives near or recreates on the river in the coming days and weeks to continue to keep a sharp eye out for injured waterfowl, residual odors, or visible fuel oil slicks particularly in the calmer near-shore eddies and pools. If you see waterfowl that need help, call Wildlife Rehabilitator Missy Runyon at 518-989-6534 or 518-965-1864. Please take pictures and identify GPS coordinates if possible and send them to info@fudr.org and we will forward them on to the appropriate authorities.”