EPA Completes Historic Oil Removal at Dunsmuir Railyard, Restores Sacramento River Shoreline
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed oversight of the removal of approximately 75,000 gallons of oil and 100,000 tons of oil-contaminated soil from the Dunsmuir Railroad site in Dunsmuir, California and restored 1,400 feet of impacted shoreline along the Sacramento River. EPA’s cleanup efforts also prevent additional oil from continuing to seep into the river. The oil-related substances addressed in this removal stem from locomotive-fueling equipment used over a century ago.
“EPA is committed to ensuring clean air, land, and water for all Americans. The completion of this cleanup means that the Dunsmuir community and wildlife will enjoy cleaner land and water than they have in a century,” EPA Pacific Southwest Superfund and Emergency Management Director Mike Montgomery. “Achieving this permanent solution would not have been possible without the close cooperation of our state partners.”
Figure 1: Sacramento River and Dunsmuir Railyard before response and restoration.
Figure 2: Sacramento River and Dunsmuir Railyard after response and restoration.
The Dunsmuir Railyard, owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad Company, has suffered contamination since the early 1900s from leaking oil tanks used to fuel locomotives. In 2019, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) requested EPA’s assistance in responding to oil discovered in the upper Sacramento River, and EPA began its investigative work. Notably, investigate work found that the seepage of oil had been occurring for more than a century.
In 2021, EPA began working with CDFW, the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, and Union Pacific to address the oil at its source and reduce the threats to human health and the environment. EPA worked with project partners to remove the contaminated soil and oil and bring in clean fill. Portions of a previously installed retaining wall were removed, and a special barrier fill was installed to prevent oil from entering the river. In addition, the impacted shoreline was restored, increasing river capacity and creating additional habitat for wildlife.
The site will continue to be regulated by the Water Board, in order to address oil in soil and groundwater in other areas of the railyard.
Background
The Union Pacific Railroad’s North Dunsmuir Railyard site is an active railyard that is directly adjacent to the Upper Sacramento River. The railyard has known subsurface oil and diesel fuel contamination and is currently subject to a Cleanup and Abatement Order issued by the California Environmental Protection Agency and Central Valley Water Quality Control Board. Prior to EPA’s response actions, oil and oily water surfaced at a retaining wall that lines the site along the Upper Sacramento River and oil was observed discharging into river.
Learn more about EPA’s Removal Program.
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