Crews have started removing coal by hand from a salmon-bearing creak near New Hazelton.
The coal ended up in Mission Creek and the surrounding area when 27 cars of a CN freight train derailed last week.
The BC environment ministry estimates that nearly 180-200 cubic metres worth of coal still remains on the slope between the tracks and creek, but provided no estimates of how much coal remains in the creek.
Officials say more work was done to prep the slope for more extensive coal removal Wednesday and crews continue to maintain silt fencing in the creek during operations.
CN has set up an environmental response trailer at the incident site Tuesday and public information will be available there starting Wednesday.
The ministry says a set of water, sediment, and in-stream coal samples were collected Tuesday and CN has brought in a contractor with specialists in environmental emergency response, toxicology, and biology.
It says sample results will be provided to the environment ministry, stakeholders, impacted First Nation communities and all agencies involved in the incident.
