Environmentalist calls Virginia coal train derailment 'punch in the gut' for Chickahominy River

The James River Association has expressed serious concerns about the environmental impact of the spill, calling it a "punch in the gut" for conservation efforts in the region.

We are deeply concerned about the impacts to the Chickahominy River, surrounding wetlands, and the people who work and live around the derailment site. The Chickahominy is a unique and critical tributary of the James River and the greater Chesapeake Bay, providing critical environmental benefits and habitat to plants and wildlife, said Tom Dunlap, with the James River Association. Many of the neighboring property owners have spent years or decades working on conservation practices to protect this area for the important resource that it is."

The environmental group noted that the affected area ranks among the top 3.