Derailment mess has couple fuming

Railroad workers worked for six hours after the crash and haven't returned.
& lt;a href=mailto:tullis@vindy.com & gt;By NANCY TULLIS & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SIGNAL -- Jim and Lisa Cibula are tired of worrying about their horses and tired of looking at a mess.
Three Central Columbiana and Pennsylvania Railway cars derailed March 8 here, one spilling its contents down an embankment and into the Cibulas' pasture, knocking down the fence.
From the kitchen window of their country home decorated in American West themes, one can see several horses grazing in a pasture, a stand of trees, and then a hillside covered with construction debris.
"I didn't buy this view," Lisa said of their Elkrun Township property. "We want the mess cleaned up and our fence replaced."
The Cibulas keep horses their children ride in barrel racing and other Western competitions. A registered Paint and a registered Palomino Paint belong to Lisa's mother, Lois Madison.
Keeping an eye on horses
Since the March 8 derailment they have just kept a close eye on the horses to keep them from getting into the debris or tangled in the downed fence.
Lisa said they cannot fix the fence themselves without handling the construction debris, so they just watch the horses to keep them away from the area.
Lisa said that's not an easy task because horses are "notoriously nosy" and when they start moving toward that part of the pasture, they have to be called back.
"Who knows what might be in there," Lisa said. "If a horse got a nail in its hoof, that's a death sentence."
She said railroad officials have not returned her numerous calls, or stopped at the house to explain why the debris hasn't been removed.
Railroad officials did not return phone calls from The Vindicator.
Central Columbiana and Pennsylvania Railway hauls rail cars filled with construction debris along the tracks near the Cibulas' home to a landfill in nearby Negley.
The railroad crossing is near where Lusk Lock, Low and Bell roads converge.
Environmental concerns
One of the derailed cars remains along the tracks near the crossing. The hill above the Cibulas' pasture is still cluttered with debris, and the Cibulas worry the mess is an invitation for passing motorists to make the area a dump site.
Little Bull Creek, which empties into Beaver Creek, flows through the pasture near the railroad. The Cibulas are also worried that drywall dust or other material from the construction debris may be getting into the creek.
"They were here for about six hours right after the crash, and then they quit," she said.
"They have the means to clean it up. They had the equipment here, and they didn't finish the job."
Lisa said she has called county and state officials and recently alerted state Rep. Charles Blasdel of East Liverpool, R-1st, and U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, of the problem.
"It's just rude that this mess is still here," she said. "We're going to try to get the neighbors together and see if that helps. I'm about ready to just go out there and tie myself to the tracks."