The Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department, and the state of West Virginia have reached a settlement with CSX Transportation regarding the company’s liability for the water pollution caused by the derailment, explosion, and subsequent oil spill in Mount Carbon, West Virginia on February 16, 2015.
Under the agreement, CSX will pay $1.2 million to the federal government and an additional $1 million to West Virginia. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resource Division’s Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood said “Federal law requires the transport of oil through communities like Mount Carbon to be done safely, whether by rail or any other mode. When accidents happen and public health or the environment is harmed, the Justice Department will respond with strong action in close coordination with our federal and state partners. Today’s settlement imposes serious fines under the Clean Water Act for the 2015 CSX train derailment in West Virginia and seeks to deter similar incidents from happening in the future. I applaud the joint efforts of DOJ, EPA, and the State of West Virginia on this case.”
Following the settlement agreement, CSX has taken steps to repair the damage and disruption resulting from the oil spill. Through state-negotiated provisions, CSX will be contributing $500,000 to a state-administered fund that will upgrade the water treatment facility in Fayette County West Virginia.
