Train Derailment

I walked at Chambers Creek Properties today, but have decided not to add my sightings to my list (Just Crows and Gulls). Perhaps if I had checked out the news, I would have decided not to walk at all. From the Grandview Trail, I could see a train with some cars in awkward positions. Obviously, I was looking down at an accident scene. With the Soundview Trail closed, I returned early and checked out the news sites. This accident certainly appears to be the reason for the closure.

From what I have read, three tanker cars containing lye landed on the beach. It also sounds like they were leaking. Keep in mind that we are talking about a public beach. This is a pretty bad situation, but perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky that nobody was injured.

I have walked the beach at Chambers Creek Properties. I have walked where these tanker cars had to have landed. This is a fairly narrow beach. Had this accident occurred during low tide towards the middle of the day, there could have been people in the way with nowhere to run.

Since we were fortunate enough to escape this incident without injuries, my thoughts have started to shift towards the future. The beach and water have been contaminated, and I’m sure that the impact of tankers damaged the beach itself. How are we going to restore the beach and the Puget Sound to make it safe for people and wildlife, and how long will it take?

For more information, read the article at the News Tribune:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/02/26/1561581/train-derailment-reported-at-chambers.html