Work continues at the site of Friday’s Union Pacific train derailment near Mosier. Fourteen oil tankers derailed and four caught fire. The tank fire has been extinguished. There were no injuries and no structures were lost.
Water and air monitoring is being conducted. At first light this morning, a light sheen of oil was observed about six feet offshore in the Columbia River at the mouth of Rock Creek. Environmental crews are working to identify and control the source of the sheen. Containment booms are being used in the Columbia and Rock Creek.
A boil water order is still in place for Mosier, mainly as a precaution in case an untested well is used for fire suppression.
Residents in an area about a quarter of a mile around the incident were evacuated by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies are patrolling the evacuated area. A decision whether the evacuation needs to be continued will be made this evening.
Federal. state, tribal and local authorities have established a command center near the area to coordinate response, cleanup and investigation.
I-84 between Hood River and The Dalles has been reopened, but the Mosier exit is still closed.
The public information number is (541)506-2792.