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RODERICK L. BREMBY, SECRETARY |
K A N S A S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT |
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, GOVERNOR |
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CLEAN UP OF RAILROAD TIE PILES FROM RAILROAD ABANDONMENTS
Over the years, our Kansas railroad system has seen a number of changes. As mass transit and our national highway system evolved, many railroad lines that once served as a major artery to Kansas towns became obsolete. When lines become obsolete, they are typically sold to a smaller railroad company or to a salvage operation for reclamation. Most reclamation projects are done in an environmentally friendly manner, however, some projects have resulted in problems related to the management of old railroad ties.
One problem site is near the town of Lucas in Russell County. Many years ago a large pile of railroad ties were left at the site in the hope that a viable market would be found for the ties. Over the years, the ties have degraded and the site has become a public nuisance. Although not directly responsible for the ties at the Lucas site, Union Pacific Railroad has stepped forward and offered their assistance with clean up of the ties. On September 6, 2006, Union Pacific and their contractor will clean up approximately 40,000 railroad ties along the west city limits of Lucas. The work will take approximately one week to complete.
Union Pacific will transport these railroad ties to a staging area outside of the town of Wilson. The railroad ties will then be loaded into gondolas and taken to Utah for disposal at a permitted landfill.
Earlier in the year, Union Pacific assisted with the clean up of railroad ties at similar sites in the City of Edwardsville. Edwardsville is a suburb west of Kansas City in Wyandotte County. Union Pacific cleaned up four sites and disposed of approximately 765 tons of railroad ties in a local permitted landfill.
The Bureau of Waste Management and Union Pacific are currently working together to identify and clean up areas where waste railroad ties have become a problem. KDHE is soliciting information from the public on the presence of other piles of railroad ties. Such information should be submitted to Bob Medina in the Bureau of Waste Management ( 785-296-6617 or bmedina@kdhe.state.ks.us ).