(The following article by Cameron Mathews was posted on the Fort Morgan Times website on November 14.)
FORT MORGAN, Colo. — The 23-coal car derailment of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train carrying 128 coal cars that occurred Saturday night is still under investigation, according to the regional director of public affairs for BNSF, Lena Kent.
The coal train was reported on its way to Kansas when it derailed from its tracks at 10 p.m. Saturday near the Sherman Street crossing at Railroad Avenue. The 23 cars had to be removed and now, Kent said, some might be salvaged.
“The coal cars that can be saved will probably be salvaged and the ones that can’t will be cut up and taken away,” Kent said. “There isn’t a date when that will happen though.”
As for the amount of spilled coal that is yet to be cleaned up at the derailment site, Kent said it might be auctioned off in the future.
“All the coal might be auctioned off and put up for bid, but we aren’t quite sure yet what will happen,” Kent explained.