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MONTREAL — Its runaway train destroyed much of downtown Lac-Mégantic, Que. killing an estimated 47 people. But the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic railway has apparently left it to the town itself foot the bill for the resulting environmental cleanup.

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Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche announced Tuesday that the town has sent the railway a lawyer’s letter demanding repayment of $4.1-million it has advanced so far to firms that MMA hired to clean up millions of litres of spilled crude oil.

Some companies had stopped work and threatened to pull out if they were not paid, Ms. Roy-Laroche said.

“This situation is highly deplorable on MMA’s part and it is completely unacceptable,” she told a news conference Tuesday in Lac-Mégantic. “Any delay in the cleaning and recovery of hydrocarbons from the site causes a serious prejudice to the town and its citizens.”

Messages left with MMA chairman Edward Burkhardt and with a Montreal lawyer representing the railway were not returned Tuesday afternoon. However, last week MMA laid off 79 of its 179 employees, including 19 in Quebec. The company said the layoffs were temporary, prompted by the shutdown of its Lac-Mégantic line as a result of the disaster.