Following the derailment of a CN Rail train near the North Pacific Cannery in Prince Edward, the Gitxsan Huwilp Government, representing the Gitxsan Nation’s Hereditary Chiefs, has issued a statement calling for the immediate halt to rail hauling near their Laxyip and Anaat – their traditional territory, and sacred fishing sites respectively.
Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs have said they are ‘high alert’ following Monday’s derailment – calling it a direct threat to the Oolichans which are currently running in the Skeena River, and therefore, a threat to the food security of the Gitxsan people.
Simogyet Moolaxan (Norman Moore) has accused the BC Ministry of Transportation of downplaying the severity of the derailment, and of the potential for what he called ‘impending rail disasters on the Gitxsan traditional territories.’
A statement from the Gitxsan Huwilp Government claims that photos of the derailment site appears to show rail cars carrying oil laying within the Skeena River, contrary to the official CN Rail statement about the contents of the train. Photos of the site do confirm some of the cars had come to rest very near the waterline at the edge of the river, and some may have dipped into it.
For it’s part, CN Rail has been adamant that there is no threat to the public as a result of the derailment, and says there were no injuries, fires, or leaks when it took place. They also stressed that the 27 train cars that derailed were empty grain cars, and that there were no dangerous goods involved. CN Rail has also confirmed that their crews had worked overnight on Monday and throughout the day on Tuesday to retrieve the cars that derailed onto the banks of the Skeena, in addition to the lead locomotive itself.
There has been no Spill Report filed on the BC Government website related to the derailment, as would be required. The existence and/or extent of environmental contamination at the site as a result of the derailment of the lead locomotive itself is so far unclear.
Meanwhile, both lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla First Nations have issued statements confirming their Government’s are aware of the incident and are monitoring the situation as well.
