From CN, via the Gogama Fire Department:
The protection and remediation of the environment is CN’s top priority in Gogama.
As the results of environmental sampling and analysis come in, they are shared with Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and Ministry of Natural Resources, Gogama, and the Mattagami First Nation.
CN and its environmental specialists have developed a plan to prevent the uncontrolled flow of ice through the remediation site before and during the spring thaw.
A large ice boom, made up of 12” by 12” timbers and chains, has been built, and will be installed today 120 meters upstream from the new CN rail bridge.
The technique has been successfully used in other regions of heavy water and ice flow.
At the same time crews continue to remove ice from the river between the railroad bridge and the location of the ice boom.
CN environment crews on Saturday detected the presence of oil upstream from the new CN rail bridge. The product apparently moved there in the early days of the spill.
The pool of oil extended 100 meters upstream from the rail bridge, is contained, and is being vacuumed up.
Crews have finished construction of five large, 30 meters wide by 30 meters long by 2 meters deep lined pits that will be used to store contaminated soil as it is removed from the derailment site.
The pits are lined with heavy-duty single-piece PVC, which will prevent any oil from leaching out of the pit.
They are located immediately northeast of the CN rail bridge, below Highway 144, and the soil will be safely contained there until a remediation plan is finalized.
The removed soil will be replaced by clean soil and the sites fully remediated.
Additional absorbent boom material is being placed along the steel sheet piles on the north side of the new bridge installed to ensure minimal movement of any contaminated soil while the temporary trackage and culverts are removed.
Removal of the culverts and fill material brought in for the temporary bypass track, temporary access road, and construction staging is ongoing.
Clean fill material is being stored on site for reuse separately from contaminated fill being placed in the lined pits.
Active air monitoring at the site for the safety of work crews is ongoing during the removal of these contaminated soils.
CN and specialist crews are making good progress in oil product reclamation at the derailment site and on the river.
Crews are using skimmers and vacuum trucks to remove oil from the river.
The oil is being stored in tanks at the site, for the time being.
Surface water monitoring and testing of river and lake sediment is ongoing with additional surface water samples being collected today.
Data and information is shared with the provincial and federal regulatory agencies, as well as Gogama Hamlet and the Mattagami First Nation.
CN Environment is observing small and intermittent patches of very light sheen on the surface of the water, near the mouth of the River and areas of the lake.
The boom network on the river and the lake is continuously maintained.
The levels of oil product being detected in the lake remain very low.
CN has been collecting fish specimens from local fishermen, and has about two dozen in hand, mostly northern pike.
We need more specimens of pickerel and whitefish, and are asking local fishermen to drop off some of those species at the CN Public Information Centre, at the Gogama Community Centre.
The specimens will be sent to a third-party laboratory for analysis and testing for the presence of any oil products.
Monitoring by MOECC and the Local Services Board of the Gogama well that provides residents’ drinking and household water shows that the water supply is not contaminated.
The well draws water from a different underground water source than the one affected by the derailment.
CN has relocated its security checkpoint on Old Gogama Road just beyond the road leading to the Municipal Waste Facility.
Residents now have free access to the Waste Facility.
For the health and safety of residents and work crews, access to Old Gogama Road beyond the Waste Facility is prohibited.
The new CN rail bridge continues to function as designed.
Train speeds over the new structure remain at a maximum 25 miles per hour, for the time being.
Maximum track speed between Capreol and Winnipeg remains at 35 mph for any train carrying 20 or more cars of crude oil.
The last of the derailed tank cars have now been cut up, and will have been removed from the site by later this week.
CN Claims Officers can be contacted at (514) 734-2473, or through the CN Public Information Centre.
The CN Public Information Centre is open at the Gogama Community Centre, from 1030am until 6pm daily.
We invite all members of the public to bring your concerns or questions, or just stop by to visit.
Just a reminder that the trauma counseling hotline is available for residents of Gogama and Mattagami First Nation.
The number is 1-844-880-9136.
The next CN bulletin will be published on Friday, March 27.
Patrick Waldron
CN Public Affairs
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(PHOTO: A damaged bridge is pictured in this Transportation Safety Board of Canada handout)
