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Portland & Western Railroad

Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2025

    Oregon DEQ fines Portland & Western Railroad $81,600 for Marys River waste discharge

    Fine or penalty

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a civil penalty of $81,600 to Portland & Western Railroad over a January 4, 2025, trestle collapse and train derailment in Corvallis. The incident released approximately 199.28 tons of urea into the Marys River over nine days. DEQ also ordered the railroad to submit a report identifying all wooden trestle bridges over water bodies in Oregon that it owns and maintains. The event is recorded as a regulatory controversy involving the railroad and the state environmental agency.

    Source excerpt

    • Urea can pollute waters by introducing excessive nitrogen that promotes algal blooms, depletes dissolved oxygen, and disrupts aquatic ecosystems.
    • The notice was issued on Nov. 25, 2025.
    • The incident resulted in approximately 199.28 tons of urea being released into the river over a period of nine days.