NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. — An environmental group is sounding the alarm after a freight train carrying coal derailed in a remote area of New Kent County over the weekend, spilling thousands of tons of coal and thousands of gallons of diesel fuel near the Chickahominy River.
The James River Association has expressed serious concerns about the environmental impact of the spill, calling it a “punch in the gut” for conservation efforts in the region.
“We are deeply concerned about the impacts to the Chickahominy River, surrounding wetlands, and the people who work and live around the derailment site. The Chickahominy is a unique and critical tributary of the James River and the greater Chesapeake Bay, providing critical environmental benefits and habitat to plants and wildlife,” said Tom Dunlap, with the James River Association. “Many of the neighboring property owners have spent years or decades working on conservation practices to protect this area for the important resource that it is.”…