Officials with the Department of Ecology say they plan to start removing the train cars that derailed in Whatcom County earlier this week starting Monday. Meanwhile, the cause of the derailment is still unknown.
The tanker train hauling crude oil derailed near the town of Custer, Wash. on Dec. 22. An estimated six train cars derailed, and a spokesperson for BNSF Railways said three cars ruptured, spilling an unknown amount of crude oil onto the ground.
Crews are working through the weekend to remove the remaining oil from the train cars and will transport it to its final destination -- a refinery in Ferndale. Once that's finished, the train cars can start to be removed, officials said.
Despite the oil spill, Department of Ecology spokesperson David Byers said earlier this week that the environmental impacts from the spill appear to be minimal.