Countywide : County Seeks Help Collecting for Spill
County Transportation Commissioner Jim Dantona said Friday that he will ask state and federal officials for their help in pressuring Southern Pacific to pay $717,741.23 it owes the county for the cleanup of the Seacliff train derailment and toxic spill July 28.
Supervisor John Flynn said he may join Dantona when he travels to Sacramento later this month to talk with state legislators about the county’s struggle to get reimbursed.
He said Southern Pacific’s response has been that they need more information about the claim.
Southern Pacific spokesman Michael Furtney said that the railroad company is still scrutinizing the list of expenses incurred by Ventura County at the time of the accident. However, he added that there is some question as to the amount that the railroad company is actually liable for.
In other business Friday, the commission was told by a consultant that it would cost about $45 million to build a commuter rail line between the cities of Ventura and Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County.
The commission said it wants more information about ridership and funding for the train before it decides whether to pursue the matter.
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