MEC&F Expert Engineers : With at least 2 tanker cars leaking oil, BNSF crude oil train derailment in Montana prompts evacuations

Friday, July 17, 2015

With at least 2 tanker cars leaking oil, BNSF crude oil train derailment in Montana prompts evacuations

Another War & Buffet BNSF Oil Train Derails.  War & Buffet offers free coke to the evacuees.

 




 

An oil train derailed Thursday in rural northeastern Montana, prompting the evacuation of some homes and leaving at least two of the cars leaking crude, authorities said.

There were no immediate reports of injury or fire, but of the 21 cars that derailed only two remained upright, Roosevelt County Sheriff Jason Frederick said.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Michael Trevino said the train was pulling 106 loaded crude oil cars when it derailed near Culbertson near the North Dakota border just after 6 p.m. MDT.

Police, fire and other emergency responders were at the site of the derailment, which forced the closure of federal Highway 2, the region's main artery.

Frederick told The Associated Press that crews are not going too close to the leaking cars until a BNSF hazardous materials team, enroute from Texas, reaches the scene.

But he said that there was no immediate threat to public safety.

The sheriff didn't know how many homes were evacuated but described area as a rural setting with ranch homes spread apart.

The Billing Gazette reported that the derailment came only about six hours after traffic started moving again after another BNSF derailment further west near Fort Kipp on Tuesday.

Rail officials declined to specify if the train was hauling crude from North Dakota's Bakken oil patch, where growing numbers of shipments that have increasingly drawn safety concerns.

Trains hauling crude from the Bakken region have been involved in multiple derailments in recent years, some causing fires.

U.S. transportation officials recently extended an order for railroads to notify states about shipments of hazardous crude oil shipments.


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UPDATE: Train Derails Near Culbertson, Mont.

By: NBC North Dakota News

UDPATE: The Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office confirmed there were 21 or 22 cars that derailed near Culbertson, Mont. Thursday evening.

There are two confirmed tankers that are leaking.

The BNSF Hazmat team from Texas is responding. 

A one mile evacuation zone is in place.

ORIGINAL STORY: Authorities have confirmed that a train has derailed near Culbertson, Mont.

Police in Fairview, Mont., say about 20 cars from an oil tanker train have come off the tracks. No spills or fires have been reported. Some of the tanker cars were carrying oil.

A Hazmat team is on the way to the scene.

Amtrak has suspended westbound service from Williston until Saturday. 

This is the second train derailment in northeastern Montana this week. Nine BNSF cars derailed near Fort Kipp, Mont., Tuesday afternoon.