DEP issued a 30-day permit on December 20 to allow the second phase work to begin. Project construction was well underway when heavy rains in early January washed out the work that had been done. With the likelihood that weather conditions could interfere with the project again, DEP extended the permit period until March 19 to allow for future weather-related delays.

The activity covered by the permit will focus on the west side of the Norfolk Southern tracks where wetlands and riparian areas of Big Fill Run and Sinnemahoning Portage Creek were destroyed when sodium hydroxide spilled from derailed tanker cars and flowed into Big Fill Run and then overflowed into adjacent areas.

“Removing the contaminated soil will help to stop the seepage of sodium hydroxide, halting the ongoing contamination of the stream,” DEP Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch said. “Replacement soil will be brought in to serve as the basis for the next step—seeding, mulching and restoration of wetland and surrounding areas.”

The permit allows Norfolk Southern to temporarily divert a portion of the Big Fill Hollow watercourse, excavate and restore the Big Fill floodway, build a temporary clean water ditch through the floodway, and construct groundwater collection devices within the floodway watercourse that will be removed once the project is completed.

The area to be restored includes approximately an acre of stream, wetlands and upland that were damaged by the spill and another two acres that were disturbed due to cleanup work, equipment storage and road construction.

All excavated material must be disposed of at a permitted landfill and all disturbed areas must be restored to the original contours and replanted with native, indigenous plant species.

Work on the west side of the Norfolk Southern tracks follows similar work that was completed on the east side of the tracks in mid-December when nearly 3,000 tons of contaminated soils were removed and disposed of at permitted landfills.

The June 30 spill wiped out fish and aquatic life in Big Fill Run and an 11-mile segment of Sinnemahoning-Portage Creek. It also affected aquatic life in the Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek. The effects of the spill were observed as far as 30 miles downstream from the derailment site, with much of the impact in Cameron County.

As much as 42,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or lye, spilled from three tanker cars in the derailment. An unknown amount of sodium hydroxide soaked into the ground in and around the derailment site. This residual material must be addressed and cleaned up to ensure a complete recovery of Sinnemahoning-Portage Creek, which is designated as an exceptional value and wild trout stream.

On Oct. 19, DEP announced $8.89 million in penalties against Norfolk Southern for violations of the state’s Clean Streams Law related to unpermitted discharges and the state’s Solid Waste Management Act and Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act related to the unpermitted disposal of wastes and the release of hazardous substances because of the accident.

On Sept. 22, DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty visited Emporium, Cameron County, and issued an order to Norfolk Southern establishing legally-binding milestones and objectives to ensure the company cleans up the ground contamination and fully restores the area to pre-spill conditions.

The spill took place in an area designated by Governor Rendell as the Pennsylvania Wilds, a 6.5 million-acre region covering 12 counties in the north-central portion of the state that is renowned for its spectacular scenery and wildlife and contains 1.6 million acres of state forest and game lands.

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