On patrol: Portable toilet installed at crumbling CSX crude oil rail bridge near Storm King

View more images on our Flickr site

The installation of a portable toilet is the first sign of activity at the failing rail bridge we documented in the fall of 2014.

In spite of public appeals by Senator Schumer, Riverkeeper and others, CSX has not begun repairs. One or two trains per day cross this damaged bridge – each carrying about 3 million gallons of Bakken crude oil.

A derailment and spill here would be devastating for the Hudson River. The crude oil spilled would not be recoverable (as accidents in the past have now clearly shown).

Still, this toilet is an important first step because while we wait for CSX to repair the bridge we CRAP ourselves every time a train rolls by.