Dec. 8, 2022
Excavation work continues along the Upper Sacramento River at the Dunsmuir Railyard, where a Unified Command of state and federal agencies (including OSPR and Union Pacific Railroad), is overseeing cleanup and restoration efforts that stem from historic petroleum seepage.
Crews have continued excavation directly behind a retaining wall along the river, removing soil to a depth of 10 feet. Officials are mitigating potential runoff from incoming storms by covering the soil and taking other precautions.
Excavated material is being loaded onto trucks that transport the material offsite to an appropriate waste disposal site. Construction of a stockpile area in the south railyard has been completed and trucking of excavated material to the stockpile area will begin this month. A de-watering system has been constructed in the north railyard in preparation of shoreline excavation planned for next year.
Truck traffic through the City of Dunsmuir increased with the onset of excavation work to remove contaminated soil and to deliver clean fill. Signs are posted along the trucking routes and placed along the streets notifying times and dates of increased truck traffic and no parking zones as needed.
