The R.J. Corman Railroad has been fined for illegally dumping wastewater from their Dinner Train. That wastewater drained into Town Branch.
Last month, an anonymous tip sparked an investigation of illegally dumped wastewater by R.J. Corman Railroad which a spokesperson called “gray water”. Gray water is used dishwater and a pool of soapy wastewater was found on the tracks, but Charlie Martin with the Lexington Division of Water Quality tells us that’s not all investigators discovered. “My staff informed me that there was evidence of a sanitary sewer discharge. There was evidence that it happened on more than one occasion.”
Martin said there wasn’t enough wastewater to cause a fish kill but that all gray and septic waste must be properly disposed of by law. “Neither one of those are permitted. They’re both unpermitted discharges to the waters of the Commonwealth. They were cited for that and it’s my understanding that they’ve taken steps necessary to mitigate the situation”
The wastewater did seep into Town Branch, which is the underground fresh water system that runs throughout Downtown Lexington. R.J. Corman was fined and also paid $750 for a tap-on permit to the county’s sewage system. We have contacted the company for comment and we were asked to submit questions through e-mail, so far they have not responded.