3 minute read
Piles of Railroad Ties Spark Concerns in Mundare
Piles of Railroad Ties Spark Concerns in Mundare
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Railroad ties that have been stockpiled by Canadian National Railway (CNR) have sparked concerns about public safety.
The issue was previously brought forward for discussion by Councillor Irene Talaga. Chief Administrative Officer Colin Zyla, presented a Request For Decision (RFD) at the March 19 council meeting.
The RFD stated, “On March 7, I expressed concern about the railway ties and asked when they will be removed.
The response was that they would look into seeing if they could get cars to remove the ties.
On March 14, I sent a follow up asking is they have any updates. No response has been received.
A resident did talk to Alberta Environment, but he was informed that as it is on CN property.
They do not have any jurisdiction and said they would forward his name to Environment Canada. The resident has not heard from Environment Canada and he will be giving them a call next week.
I do not believe this is a priority for CN and do not expect that they will be removed anytime soon.”
Subsequently, Zyla told council, “But, today (March 19) I got an email from a person at CN saying they’re looking into it. I also got a call from the CN Police because we were told some people were taking the railroad ties and CN Police were getting involved. I actually had a very good discussion with them. They are going to do some checking about getting them out of there.”
Zyla noted that, “The CN police officer was very concerned people were taking the railroad ties.” Zyla added that the CN police officer understood concerns about potential fire hazard and creosote, which is the material used to preserve the railroad ties.
As well, Zyla said there is the potential for water contamination. “It all goes into Svit drainage.”
Talaga said, “I brought it up because they have been sitting there for so long, and I really felt it’s a safety concern to our community should there be a fire. There’s lots of old grass there and if a fire were started we would really have a real big mess. It’s been standing for two years and it’s becoming a real eyesore, too.”
Talaga made a motion to accept the RFD as information and to bring it back for discussion at the next council meeting.
In a statement provided by CN it said, “Rail tie replacement is a routine part of normal railway operations. CN crews temporarily store both new and old ties on our property at locations where work is scheduled. Old rail ties are scheduled for collection and disposal after area projects are complete. Wooden rail ties are treated to ensure the long-term integrity and safety of CN’s railway infrastructure. The use of creosote as a wood preservative is an industry standard, and rail tie handling is regulated by the federal government.”
