WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — City officials in West Sacramento are asking freight company Top Rail Solutions to stop transporting biodiesel in the northern part of the city.
According to a news release from the city, the freight company is preparing to transfer biodiesel from tanker cars to freight trucks on the tracks running parallel near the George Kristoff Water Treatment Plant and homes in the Bryte and Broderick Neighborhoods.
The city says it found out what was going on earlier this year and sent two cease and desist letters to Top Rail.
City manager Aaron Laurel says the transport and transloading of hazardous materials through neighborhoods is prohibited due to public health risks. Laurel also says the risk of handling petroleum products using equipment that hasn’t been permitted or inspected by the city is potentially dangerous.
The city’s news release says there are hundreds of homes within a quarter-mile of the transloading location and it’s also within 1,000 feet of the city’s only intake point for the municipal water supply.
ABC10 reached out to Top Rail Solutions for comment and they sent back the following statement:
"Top Rail is not currently transloading any materials, hazardous or not, in Sacramento or anywhere within the entire state of California. Top Rail has replied to the cease letters that no transloading is happening on or along the previously referenced tracks, further that there are no plans to transload any materials along the previously referenced tracks or anywhere in the State of California.
To be clear, railroads have railcars on railroad tracks and just because there are railcars on railroad tracks does not mean any other activity is occurring.
Upon receipt of the cease letter, Top Rail has been working to remove any/all equipment on the site (fencing, etc.)."
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