What a mess... North Central Pa.
Makes me sick...
"A Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment that morning near the north-central Pennsylvania town of Gardeau, McKean County, spilled a highly toxic chemical into Portage Run, an "exceptional value" wild trout stream and tributary of the Driftwood Branch, and Mr. Zoschg was following its progress downstream."
Link:
[url=http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06187/703720-113.stm:3cddd]http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06187/703720-113.stm[/url:3cddd]
Fishing the Great Beyond
I read every word, twice. Really glad that the cars have been removed and the trains are runnung again. We know what a joke an investigation will be.
How disgusting! That was one of my favorite fisheries! Did it effect the reservoir? I agree with J.C. The investigation will be a white wash. Norfolk Southern is big bucks in Pa and our legislature will slap their wrists then let them go. That is the second derailment and spill this week for Norfolk Southern in Pa that impacted the environment. The other was a chlorine spill in the Lancaster county and Hershey area. One hopes, however futile, that this is enough to trigger a serious N.T.S.B. investigation into Norfolk Southern's operating, safety and maintenance procedures.
Still wouldn't replace the horrible damage to the fisheries.
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Eric "nighthawk"
American veteran and proud of it!
Dear JC and Nighthawk,
C'mon guys, don't be so cynical.
Remember back in the early 1990's when a similar spill occured in Northern California on the upper Sacramento River?
The railroad had their feet held to the fire for that one. They were fined many millions of dollars and forced to rebuid the tracks at the site of the crash at their own expense.
If that doesn't happen in this case I guess I will finally concede that PA and it's residents really don't care about their environment. I'm not ready to concede yet, I really think the people will be compensated for this.
I do have to admit that I hope I'm just not whistling past the graveyard.
Best Wishes,
Avalon
I work for Union Pacific, and for us if this happened the feds would definately be all over it insuring tht everything is made right. Hopefully it will be true for Norfolk. That was Union Pacific on the Sacramento, and far as I know the fishing has made a come back. Dont be passive write your Congressman as well as the FRA.
Guess I'll have to let the father in law know...If he does not already...He's from Emporium originally... and is there quite often with his parents...Have a reunion there this month on the 29th....Is Parker Dam in any way going to be effected in this???...I'm not exactly familiar with that area of the state. Only been there once,
For last years reunion...
Wish they'd restrict at least the amount of liquids that could be transported by rail, If not the hazardousness of them....This was my first q's of the Hershey incident...what might have been spilt....which I did not get any real answers to...
Wish ya great fishing,Bill
Fishing the Great Beyond
Compensation is not my issue. Keeping the damn tracks in proper shape so there are no spills! THAT is what needs to be done. DO NOT FINE THEM. Make them bring the rails up to proper standards and run the operation correctly. There is no way to bring back the stream, or negate the damage done. If they are fined they will be less able to fix things! Fire the president and give him a few years in jail. Harsh? Not in my book. He screwed up. I am not kidding. Think the next president will allow spills to happen?
Stories like this one make me sick and then angry. I?m no expert on rail transportation, but in addition to the rails the condition of the various tank cars has to be maintained and periodically inspected. Such cars are supposed to be designed, maintained and inspected so they can survive a certain amount of impact without losing their contents. I wonder if that had been done and what condition those cars were in? Or how fast the train was traveling? Perhaps they put the sodium hydroxide into a car of lesser design or strength not designed or allowed to transport that given material. JC?s comment on filing criminal charges against managers and executives is not unheard of. This has occurred (yes, jail time) in incidents that have resulted in death or serious injures of employees where negligence has been proven. Why not same for these types of incidents? If somebody?s rear end is on the line it makes a difference.
I guess I have to side with JC on this one. What good will fining do? The fish are all dead. What amount of money can do anything to replace that? 20 miles of stream???? What about the economic implact on that county?? I personally think N&S officials, from the top right on down to the bottom, Should be brought to the site of this spill and made to rebuild the tracks by hand, and made to do that every time a derailment because of track conditions happens. Of course that's all fantasy thinking because as long as these guys get their very large paychecks and pension pay outs in the mail, they could give a rat's @$$ about the water, fish, people, or anything else.
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These are the idle thoughts that posses a man's mind when he's not able to fish.
As a somewhat disinterested party( I don't live or fish there), I feel I can comment. Why play the "blame the corporation" game till the investigation is over?. Maybe this tragedy was caused by some low-life vandals wanting to see a big bang? The "evil" corporation is not always to blame nor is it always "evil".
Mark
[This message has been edited by Marco (edited 09 July 2006).]
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