SEACLIFF : Railroad Accused of Delaying Refunds

Officials in Ventura County accused Southern Pacific Railroad on Friday of delaying tactics in reimbursing public agencies for the cleanup of a July train derailment and toxic spill at Seacliff.

But Southern Pacific spokesman Michael Furtney said the issue is moot after the railroad’s decision Friday afternoon to pay nearly $750,000 under settlement terms demanded by the county.

“The check is not yet in the mail, but it will be early next week,” Furtney said.

Cara Johnson, a legislative assistant with Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria), said that Southern Pacific made the same promise earlier.

On March 11, officials announced that a settlement had been reached to pay back the county and seven other public agencies involved in the cleanup.

“We won’t believe the deal is done until we see the check,” Johnson said Friday.

O’Connell, who said he was furious at Southern Pacific’s “bad-faith” tactics, called a press conference Friday at the site northwest of Ventura where the train carrying toxic hydrazine derailed July 28.

“We want to make sure that not one red cent of taxpayer money is spent to clean up their mess,” he said.

Robert R. Orellana, an attorney in the Ventura County counsel’s office, said that officials believed that “checks were in the mail” when they made the March 11 announcement.

All that remained, he said, was the formality of a signed release stating that the county and other agencies involved would not seek further reimbursement for cleanup costs, he said.

But on March 16, Southern Pacific attorneys sent a general release instead.

If signed, the release would have removed the county’s right to ask for any future reimbursement for damage to wildlife habitat or personal illness that could develop as a result of the hazardous materials spilled.

On Wednesday, Orellana wrote Southern Pacific rejecting the general release.

He said that Southern Pacific’s sudden agreement Friday was another tactic to avoid bad publicity.

“They’re spin-doctoring,” Orellana said.