In twin incidents, freight trains carrying crude oil and ethanol derailed in Wisconsin, leading to evacuations and fuel spillage.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, a BNSF freight train with ethanol on board and 25 cars derailed close to Alma, Buffalo County. The incident took place around 8:45 a.m. near the Minnesota border and resulted in four tanker cars spilling nearly 5 to 500 gallons each, and the fifth spilling 18,000 gallons.
Since the train tracks were located near the Mississippi River, the derailment resulted in several gallons of the denatured alcohol leaking into the river. Video footage of the derailment shows train carriages strewn across tracks atop a narrow causeway, which cuts through the Mississippi River's center, and water can be seen on both sides of the ramp.
Luckily, no one was injured and the crew managed to stanch the ethanol flow from the derailed freight train.
"BNSF is continuing to monitor for environmental impacts and to work on scene with the multiple federal and state agencies involved," said the company.
On Sunday, Nov. 8, in yet another unfortunate incident hours after the derailment in Alma, a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train which has crude oil on board also derailed in Wisconsin. The incident took place at 2 p.m. in Watertown, which is 50 miles from Milwaukee.
The derailment resulted in 13 tanker cars being knocked off the tracks and spilling oil. As a result, 35 homes had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure even as workers attempted to stop the minor leakage.
Jeremy Berry, Canadian Pacific Railway's spokesperson divulged that the derailment led to one of the tanker cars being punctured and spilling oil onto the earth. However, the oil did not make its way to any body of water and was timely contained.
BNSF has let on that a containment mechanism has been placed along the river's shoreline. Crews are working to pump out the remaining ethanol from the tanker cars. Once the derailed carriages have been straightened, the crew will begin repairing the damaged railway tracks. It is anticipated that the tracks will become functional on Monday, Nov. 9, morning.
Photo : SounderBruce | Flickr
