Rail traffic resumed Tuesday morning on the BNSF tracks through western Wisconsin as crews continued cleanup in Reick’s Lake north of Alma, where about 25 cars, including tankers and empty auto transporters, left the tracks Saturday.
Advertisement
“There will be metallurgic tests that will be done, not only on the rails, but on the wheels on the train cars”, Illich said.
According to BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth, the crews stopped the leaks and removed the remaining ethanol from the cars.
The denatured ethanol in Saturday’s spill included between 1 percent to 5 percent gasoline, according to EPA spokesman Andy Maguire.
“We were very fortunate”, said Tom Clauder, a Wisconsin railroad investigator. BNSF officials are expected to provide more exact estimates of the spillage after they measure how much ethanol was recovered.
Human exposure to ethanol during spill situations can occur by inhalation, contact with the skin, or ingestion if ethanol reaches water supplies, according to the MA Department of Environmental Protection.
Once the spill was contained and all contaminated soil and materials cleared from the tracks, new soil and gravel was put in and the track was replaced in the area of the derailment.
We regret any inconvenience yesterday’s temporary voluntary evacuation may have caused residents.
The Federal Railroad Administration is focusing on mechanical and track cause as the reason for derailment.
A total of 13 cars derailed, though a spokesman for Canadian Pacific said only one vehicle was punctured, spilling less than 1,000 gallons of crude oil.
The tank cars involved in both Wisconsin derailments are being phased out, the agency said.
Over 30 trains a day pass through this area of Canadian Pacific tracks. Once that work is finished, they can start repairing the tracks. Fire Chief Paul Stephans said his department regularly trains to handle the side effects of derailments.
The Citizens Acting for Rail Safety cites the two recent train derailments in Wisconsin as proof that something more needs to be done.
Advertisement
When asked if things could have been worse, Michalek said there could have been a fire. Modern versions feature a protective second hull or jacket, as well as other reinforcements that make them less likely to rupture in a derailment.
