Railroad to Pay Cleanup Costs in Seacliff Derailment

After eight months of negotiation, Southern Pacific Transportation Co. has agreed to pay $737,000 to Ventura County and other government agencies for the cleanup of last summer’s Seacliff train derailment and toxic spill, officials said Wednesday.

The railroad company notified county officials Tuesday that it will pay for emergency services provided by the county Fire Department and other agencies in connection with the July 28 accident, said Assistant County Counsel Robert R. Orellana. The county should receive payment within the next week, Orellana said.

George Link, an attorney for Southern Pacific, said the company always intended to provide reimbursement. However, he said Southern Pacific needed time to research the expenses submitted by various agencies to ensure that the company was liable for them.

But Orellana and other county officials said that “bad press and political pressure” prompted Southern Pacific to finally agree to settle.

Last week, the Board of Supervisors sent its third letter to the railroad company demanding payment for the massive cleanup operation and sought the help of Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria). Supervisors said the county, which has been forced to cut back services because of budget constraints, had waited long enough for its money.

“That’s great,” Supervisor John Flynn said Wednesday of the reimbursement agreement. “That’s a lot of money. It will help us out a lot.”

O’Connell said he was disappointed that Southern Pacific waited before agreeing to pay. “But I’m pleased that Southern Pacific finally stepped up to the plate and recognized their responsibility and obligation to pay,” he said. “It’s not fair to the taxpayers of Ventura County to be out one red cent.”

The train wreck at Seacliff caused the spill of 440 gallons of hydrazine solution, a component of rocket fuel. It forced the evacuation of dozens of residents and shut down a 10-mile stretch of the Ventura Freeway for five days.