Dresbach, Minn.-Water quality tests so far are showing encouraging signs from the release of thousands of gallons of liquid nitrogen into the Mississippi River in the aftermath of a two-train collision early on Dec. 17 near here (GM Dec. 22, p. 11), according to state inspectors. The Canadian Pacific trains headed in the same direction sideswiped in a switching area and derailed a total of 26 cars, including three tankers, which ended up spilling an estimated 31,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer. Mike Schommer, spokesman for the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, which is monitoring the fertilizer cleanup, said right after the collision CP crews were able to skim 8,000 gallons of a mixture of diesel fuel, fertilizer, and oil from the surface of the river. He said water testing since then conducted by an engineering consultant hired by the railroad, both at the site of the incident and scattering 1,200 feet down stream, showed ammonia not exceeding safe levels. “They found some ammonia but none exceeded the un-ionized ammonia surface water standards and none of the detects were above that safety level,” Schommer reported. He said the samples were taken the day after and then two days after the incident, explaining that experts believe if tests continue to show these results, indications are that the river is diluting the liquid fertilizer. This information confirms the report earlier from CP spokesman Mike LoVecchio that the tests from eight water quality monitoring stations on the river showed nitrogen at non-detect levels and that no fish kill has been found. LoVecchio also said that everything was back to normal at the site a couple of days after the crash. Schommer said the next step will be for Canadian Pacific officials and their cleanup contractor to discuss soil sampling strategy and come up with a plan for approval by the state for the area along the river that soaked up some of the 28 percent liquid nitrogen. He said the plan will be reviewed both by the ag department and the pollution control agency. Meanwhile, the Federal Railroad Administration confirmed that it is participating in the investigation of why one of the westbound trains operating on a switching track broadsided the other. Kathy Rufshus, pollution control agency spokeswoman, reported that none of the fertilizer cars ended up in the river, and that the remaining product has been transloaded and three cars removed from the scene along with the rest of the damaged equipment. One tanker on level ground near the tracks leaked part of its load, which was contained at the scene and recovered. She said two other cars sat for awhile on an embankment and then shifted and moved down toward the river, with one actually landing on top of a locomotive.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain