(The following article by Prentiss Findlay was posted on the Post and Courier website on April 4.)
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Focused inspections in January showed that CSX railroad committed four hazardous materials handling violations in South Carolina, but a federal railroad spokesman declined to provide more specifics Tuesday.
“More detailed information will become available once the legal process moves along, which is likely to take several months,” Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Steve Kulm said.
Kulm also said the agency will inspect a railroad bridge this week where Rantowles Creek and the Wallace River empty into the Stono River.
His comments came after Patrick Frazier of Ravenel and other residents voiced concern that the Rantowles CSX railroad bridge, which has some exposed, rusting rebar, is unsafe and could collapse.
Their fears center around not only a potential loss of life but also an environmental catastrophe if a derailment spilled chemicals or nuclear waste or weapons into the tidal waters. The bridge is part of a heavily traveled north-to-south route for freight trains and Amtrak.
Officials said Tuesday that the bridge is safe, and Kulm added, “The Federal Railroad Administration will be out looking at the bridge this week.”
While the bridge’s problems might prove to be mostly cosmetic, CSX has had a rocky year.
The railroad, which operates in 23 states, was cited for 34 hazardous waste handling violations during federal inspections Jan. 19-22. Kulm provided a summary of report findings, which recommended civil penalties against CSX for 199 violations.
They included:
–failure to replace defective rails and joint bars;
–failure to make repairs previously discovered;
–cross ties not effectively distributed to support 39-foot segment of track;
–and loose or missing bolts.
Hazardous material tank cars were found with loose closures, and train crews did not have the proper hazardous materials shipping papers, according to the report.
Recent CSX accidents in other states cited in the federal report included: Jan. 16, a derail- ment with hazardous materials fire in Brooks, Ky., and a derailment in East Rochester, N.Y; Jan. 15, runaway railcars in Patio, Ky.; Dec. 14, a CSX employee was struck by train and killed at a yard crossing in Syracuse, N.Y.
Federal officials conducted 583 inspections over a four- day period in January and found a total of 3,518 defects or evidence of noncompliance with federal rail safety or hazardous materials regulations in the 23 states where CSX operates.
CSX spokeswoman Meg Sacks said the Rantowles railroad bridge passed its annual comprehensive inspection on March 20. The track, including the bridge, is checked weekly.
“The structure is safe for the rail operation. We would not operate trains on it if it was not safe,” Sacks said.
She said CSX would re-inspect the bridge sometime in the next two weeks.
Frazier expressed skepticism when told that the bridge had passed inspection.
“I’ve never seen anybody under that bridge, ever, in my 20 years of being here,” Frazier said.
Jesse Kirchner, who is building a house on Rantowles Creek, also is concerned about the bridge’s condition.
“I haven’t observed the bridge up close since last summer, but I recall that it appeared to be extremely deteriorated at that time. I recall seeing exposed and rusty rebar,” Kirchner said in an e-mail.
CSX and federal officials said people sometimes call with concerns about a bridge’s appearance even though it’s structurally sound.