>>
>> NO
>> NO ONE
>> NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT AND NO ROADS HAD TO BE CLOSED. >> MEANWHILE, WE STILL DON'T
KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS FIERY
DERAILMENT NORTH OF FERNDALE
YESTERDAY MORNING.
BUT TODAY INVESTIGATORS
REVEALED NEW INFORMATION.
WE'RE ALSO LEARNING MORE ABOUT
THE POTENTIAL RISK TO THE
ENVIRONMENT.
SEVERAL OF THOSE TRAIN CARS
WERE CARRYING CRUDE OIL.
THE DERAILMENT IN CUSTER, A
SMALL TOWN JUST SOUTH OF THE
CANADIAN BORDER.
OUR TEAM COVERAGE STARTS
TONIGHT WITH KING-SIZE KAYLA
LAFFERTY WHO'S IN CUSTER FOR US
AND KAYLA.
I KNOW THAT YOU SPOKE TO ONE
BUSINESS OWNER WHO SHOP IS WELL
PRETTY CLOSE TO THE SCENE
OF THAT CRASH RIGHT?
YEAH.
THAT IS RIGHT.
BUT FIRST OFF, CREWS ARE STILL
HERE ON SCENE AT THE DERAILMENT
SITE AND THEY WILL BE HERE ON
SCENE FOR SOME TIME CLEANING UP
THE DERAILMENT.
THE FBI IS ALSO HERE WORKING ON
THAT INVESTIGATION BUT
AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN PRETTY
TIGHT LIPPED, NOT RELEASING
ANYTHING REALLY ABOUT THE CAUSE
OF THIS DERAILMENT.
BUT WE'RE IN THE PARKING LOT
OF A TIRE SHOP RIGHT NOW THAT'S
ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET FROM THAT
SITE THAT YOU SEE BEHIND US
WHERE THAT DERAILMENT HAPPENED.
THE OWNER SAYS IT'S CROSSED HIS
MIND SEVERAL TIMES BEING THIS
CLOSE TO TRAIN TRACKS THAT
CARRY CRUDE OIL EMPLOYEES AT
BEACON BATTERIES AND USE TIRE
HEARD A BOOM AND SAW FLAMES
SHOOTING FROM THE RAILWAY.
>> YOU COULD TELL THEY WERE
THEY WERE SHAKEN BUT THEY SAID
THEY WOULD BE TOLD TO EVACUATE
RIGHT NOW.
>> OWNER MARK BECKWITH WASN'T
WORKING AT THE TIME BUT HE
TRIED TO CHECK ON HIS SHOP
AFTER THE EVACUATION ORDER WAS
LIFTED.
>> I TRIED TO COME BY LAST
NIGHT ABOUT 30 AND THEY HAD THE
ROADS CLOSED OFF BORDER PATROL
AND AND HOMELAND SECURITY AND
THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED AND
FIFTY PEOPLE WORKING LIGHT
TOWERS SET UP.
YOU'RE ALL WORKING LIKE FOR ALL
LIKE ANTS ALL OVER THE THAT
TRAIN HIS SHOP IS JUST FINE
AFTER THE QUICK ACTIONS
OF MULTIPLE AGENCIES THAT
RESPONDED.
>> MANY HAD TRAINED FOR
SCENARIOS JUST LIKE THIS ONE.
>> OVER THE PAST COUPLE
OF YEARS WE'VE HAD MAJOR
EXERCISES SIMULATING WELL TRAIN
DERAILMENTS, RESULTING RUPTURES
OF CARS CARRYING CRUDE OIL
JUST
JUST BY
JUST BY COINCIDENCE ONE OF THE EXERCISES THAT WE DID IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAPPENED
TO BE IN CUSTER, WASHINGTON
WHERE THIS HAPPENED.
>> WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE
DERAILMENT ISN'T KNOWN JUST
YET.
THIS IS AN ONGOING
INVESTIGATION.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPECULATE ON
CAUSE OR ON THE INVESTIGATION.
>> SO WHEN YOU HEARD FROM YOUR
EMPLOYEES ABOUT WHAT HAD
HAPPENED HERE YESTERDAY, WHAT
WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION HAVING
YOUR BUSINESS BE SO CLOSE?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST WAS
THINKING ABOUT THOSE THERE ALSO
WERE IN TROUBLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONNECTED
OR NOT FOR TRYING TO DERAIL
TRAINS IN NOVEMBER.
>> TWO WOMEN WERE ARRESTED FOR
ALLEGEDLY PLACING A SHUNT ON
THE BNSF RAILWAY IN BELLINGHAM.
>> A SHUNT CAN DISRUPT SAFETY
FEATURES AND CAUSE CRASHES.
THE CAUSE OF THIS CRASH IS
STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS
AGO DEFINITELY HAS PEOPLE
THINKING INCLUDING BECKWITH
THERE'S ALWAYS A CONCERN, YOU
KNOW, BUT IT'S THE SAME IF IT
WAS A PIPELINE OR YOU KNOW, A
SHIP.
WELL, YOU KNOW THE EXXON VALDEZ
I MEAN THERE'S THERE'S ALWAYS A
RISK INVOLVED THAT WE DO WANT
TO BE CLEAR THERE IS NO
INFORMATION ON THE CAUSE
OF THIS DERAILMENT IF THERE WAS
CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT OR IF IT
IS ACCIDENTAL.
>> SO WE'LL BE LISTENING
CHECKING WITH INVESTIGATORS TO
SEE WHEN THEY RELEASE MORE
INFORMATION ON A CAUSE OF A
CLUSTER.
KAYLA LAFFERTY, KING 5 NEWS.
YOU ARE STILL VERY MUCH AN
ACTIVE INVESTIGATION AT THIS
POINT, KAYLA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORTING.
MEANWHILE, OFFICIALS SAY THE
FULL CLEANUP PROCESS WILL TAKE
MONTHS.
MICHAEL CROW REPORTS ON WHAT WE
KNOW SO FAR ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND THERE
IS SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
AS THE ASSESSMENT CONTINUES BUT
ALSO QUESTIONS AND PLENTY
OF WORK TO DO.
>> NEW IMAGES TONIGHT OF THE
DERAILED TANKER CARS IN CUSTER
THREE RUPTURED SPILLING AN
UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF CRUDE OIL.
>> BUT THE WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY SAYS
RIGHT NOW THEY BELIEVE ALL
OF THE OIL STAYED ON SITE.
>> ALL CALLING YOUR RESPONDERS
HAVE BEEN CIRCLING THE SITE
LOOKING FOR PATHWAYS OF OFFSITE
MIGRATION OF CRUDE OIL AND SO
FAR WE HAVE FOUND NONE.
ECOLOGY SAYS THERE WERE NO
INJURIES AND NO WILDLIFE
IMPACTS.
>> THEY BELIEVE THE OIL LIKELY
HAS NOT MADE IT INTO THE
GROUNDWATER THOUGH THEY'LL
CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE.
THEY'RE ALSO CONDUCTING AIR
MONITORING, LOOKING FOR OIL
UNDER THE SNOW AND FOR ANY
IMPACTS TO WETLANDS.
>> ALL THAT WILL TAKE TIME.
AND ECOLOGY AND OUR ALGAE TEAM,
OUR RESPONDERS WON'T BE HERE
UNTIL WE HAVE ANSWERS TO ALL
THOSE QUESTIONS.
THE CARS INVOLVED ARE CALLED
DLT ONE 17 HOURS OLDER TANKERS
RETROFITTED TO MEET MODERN
SAFETY REGULATIONS.
>> INTERESTINGLY, REUTERS
REPORTED IN 2018 THAT BNSF WAS
LOOKING TO LIMIT THE 117 RS
BANNING THEM FOR NEW CONTRACTS
WITH OIL COMPANIES FOLLOWING A
SPILL OF 230000 GALLONS
OF CRUDE IN IOWA.
BNSF SAID THE OIL COMPANY OWNS
THESE CARS AND THAT IT TAKES
ALL LEGAL TANKERS WHICH THESE
ARE.
THAT SPOKESPERSON DIRECTED ME
TO PHILLIPS 66.
SO FOR NOW CREWS CONTINUE TO
REMOVE OIL FROM THE STRICKEN
CARS UNDER THE EYE OF STATE AND
FEDERAL OFFICIALS.
>> WASHINGTON STATE AND SOME
OF THE HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS FOR
HOW CLEAN IS CLEAN.
AND WHEN WE END THE FINAL
CLEANUP AS A RESULT OF THIS
INCIDENT, ECOLOGY DOES EXPECT
THERE TO BE SOME SOIL
CONTAMINATION IN THE IMMEDIATE
SITE.
>> THEY SAY THAT COULD TAKE