HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Arkansas Midland Railroad will pay a penalty of more than $910,000 as part of a settlement over alleged hazardous waste violations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced.
The EPA says the railroad stored more than 750,000 gallons of o-Chlorotoluene, a highly flammable and toxic material, in up to 34 unsecured and unsupervised railcars on a private track along Spring Street in Hot Springs for at least two years, near homes, a school, and waterways. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the material has health impacts including causing liver and kidney injury, as well as irritation to the eyes, skin, and mucous membrane.
The state of Arkansas discovered the material as part of an investigation into another facility and referred the matter to the EPA. Under direction of the agency, the waste was removed and disposed of at an appropriate facility while settlement negotiations were ongoing. No evidence of leaks or exposure was found, the EPA says.
The railroad will pay a civil penalty of $910,985.
“Residents of Hot Springs or any community should not have to live with the threat of toxic material just steps from their homes and schools,” EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance said in a press release. “EPA and our partners are here to hold companies accountable when they fail to comply with the hazardous waste regulations that keep people and our natural resources safe from exposure and contamination.”
Arkansas Midland, acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in 2015, operates 140 miles of track in seven disconnected locations on former Union Pacific branch lines in central Arkansas.
Hmmm… Interesting goings on here. Mr. Jones, IF the cars you can see on Spring Street in 2022 are the cars in question, they are placarded, but with the wrong placard. They have 1993, should have 2238. But I would like to hear the full story. Hard to tell if the RR was trying to get away with something, or if they were duped by an unscrupulous shipper.
If wrong placards and if wrong waybills, then how would any RR that moved the cars know? The FRA needs to investigate as well STB since avoiding part of Haz Mat tariff is indicated. Maybe a criminal investigation of shipper is also warranted. Cannot imagine that this is an isolated incident.
What is the rest of the story? Who was the shipper, who paid the storage fees, who owned the RR cars, were the cars placarded, has the shipper done this at other locations to avoid disposal fees, how was the original shipment way billed?
G&W and every other US RR best check every systemwide stored car for more incidents as this may not be an isolated incident.