(The following story appeared on the Pittsburgh Tribune Review website on January 7.)
BELL, Pa. — The state Department of Environmental Protection gave area drinking water a clean bill yesterday after about 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Kiskiminetas River when a train derailed here Monday.
Spokeswoman Betsy Mallison said no traces of the slick were detected at any area water-testing plants, including as far away as Pittsburgh, and that it appeared any remnants of the fuel had dissipated in the river.
Meanwhile, crews worked overnight Monday and much of yesterday removing one train engine from the river and several cars from the riverbanks after the first 16 cars of the 107-car Norfolk Southern Railroad freight train came off its track at about 5:20 a.m. Monday.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Rudy Husband said that one engine was in the Kiski River and leaked diesel fuel. The end of another engine was touching the water but did not spill fuel.