The Feather River north of Sacramento serves as a life source from California, providing drinking water to millions of residents as far south as Los Angeles and helping irrigate nearly 1 million acres of farmland. To accomplish its task, the river runs a gantlet - snaking through a seep canyon in the shadows of a busy freight rail line with a history of derailments.
The river’s precarious position was highlighted again last month when nearly a dozen cars from a derailed corn train tumbled down the mountain, splitting open and spilling kernels and husks into the river. ...
“Luckily, corn is pretty much inert, a low-threat material,” said George Day, senior engineer with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Most of the corn landed on the hillside above the river. But the incident rang alarm bells. State and local officials note that the train easily could have been one of those that now carry 100 cars of crude oil, or other hazardous substances, through the canyon.
The river’s precarious position was highlighted again last month when nearly a dozen cars from a derailed corn train tumbled down the mountain, splitting open and spilling kernels and husks into the river. ...
“Luckily, corn is pretty much inert, a low-threat material,” said George Day, senior engineer with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Most of the corn landed on the hillside above the river. But the incident rang alarm bells. State and local officials note that the train easily could have been one of those that now carry 100 cars of crude oil, or other hazardous substances, through the canyon.