DEQ REQUESTS INFORMATION FROM RAILROAD COMPANIES

by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

September 11, 2005

DEQ requests information from railroad companies

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued an administrative order on Friday requesting information from 17 railway companies that have railcars in the area impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

DEQ is asking the companies to provide:

1. A list of any rail cars that may presently be located in the emergency area.
2. For each rail car listed, any identifying numbers or letters
3. For each rail car listed, its physical type, such as a box, tank or flat bed.
4. For each rail car listed, its contents.
5. For each rail car listed, its location on Aug. 29 and its present location if different.
6. For each rail care listed, any information on its present condition.

DEQ and the Environmental Protection Agency examined satellite imagery and flew over Louisiana's southeastern parishes and have found a number of railcars off the tracks, turned over, underwater and in other forms of disarray. DEQ has previously sent several letters to railway companies in an effort to obtain information on the cars in an effort to speed clean-up efforts and ensure safety for the public and inspectors.

The 17 companies are Burling Northern Railway, CSX Transportation, Grand Trunk Railroad, Kansas City Southern Railway Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Acadiana Railway Company, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad, Delta Southern Railroad, East Camden and Highland Railroad Company, Gloster Southern Railroad Company, Louisiana and Delta Railroad, Louisiana and North West Railroad Company, New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railway Company, New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, Ouachita Railroad and Timber Rock Railroad.

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