Crude oil spilled from rail car in Minnesota

Around 12,000 gallons of crude oil was spilled by a rail car travelling between Winona and Red Wing, Minnesota, US, on Monday (February 3rd). Although the oil leaked was only around half the average content of a single Canadian Pacific rail car, it was very visible along the tracks between the two cities due to snowfall. A total of 68 miles of track was affected by the leak.

No major cleanup operations are planned for the area that has been affected as the oil was found to have only splattered onto the track as the train was moving. No pools of oil have been discovered and it does not seem that are areas where the concentration of oil requires large scale operations, according to Cathy Rofshus, public information officer for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). 

Monitoring will take place throughout the area to look out for any potential oil run off that could cause environmental or health issues. Critical areas, such as river crossings, will continue to be examined to ensure that no environmental damage is caused by the spill and that no further action is required. 

Ms Rofshus said in an email to Winona Daily News: “The main goal of the MPCA today is to protect any waters from contamination as the railroad tracks cross the Zumbro and Cannon rivers, as well as Wells Creek, along with close proximity to wetlands, including Weaver Bottoms. Initial reconnaissance found only a spattering of oil across Wells Creek north of Lake City.”

Luckily the leak was reported to the train crew as they got past Winona, allowing them to repair the problem before travelling any further. According to a press release from the state Department of Public Safety, the leak was caused by a missing cap or valve on the train car.

Canadian Pacific are cooperating with the investigation that is being run by MPCA, while also performing their own to identify how the leak was caused. The car that malfunctioned and caused the spill has now been pulled from service, according to Ed Greenberg, spokesperson for Canadian Pacific.