One BNSF coal train collided with the rear of another BNSF coal train on February 4, 2019 in the remote Wendover Canyon of the North Platte River near Guernsey, Wyoming. Three locomotives and four coal cars derailed as a result of the accident and a reported 5000-6000 gallons of diesel and oil was discharged from the locomotives into the North Platte River. The river is at low flow and currently, the icy conditions have limited impacts to the river to a few hundred yards downstream of the incident.

Access to this stretch of the river is extremely limited. Glendo Reservoir (Glendo State Park) is just upstream of the incident and Guernsey Reservoir (Guernsey State Park) is several miles downstream.

The Bureau of Reclamation shut off the discharge from the Glendo Reservoir upstream and flow in the North Platte River was limited to the approximately 50 cubic feet per second from groundwater and minor tributaries. Precautionary boom was deployed in two locations just downstream of the accident site and a third booming location was established 2.5 miles downstream. Both the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and USEPA deployed On-Scene Coordinators to the incident.

1. Maintain containment of product just downstream of the incident site.

2. Remove product from the river using a combination of in-situ burning, flushing, absorbent materials and skimmers.

3. Excavate contaminated soil from the exposed river bed and bank at the incident site.

4. Use water (without additives), absorbent materials and skimmers to remove residual product from the exposed river bed and banks.

Absorbents and possibly skimmers will be used to remove recoverable oil and diesel from the river.

Contaminated soil will be removed from the location of the incident.

A monitoring program will be developed and implemented to ensure containment of product in the river.

Residual oil and diesel was collected using pressure washers and absorbent pads. Slots were cut into the ice to hold boom on the surface of the ice to collect runoff and product. A weir was constructed across the river to raise the water level in a controlled fashion and enhance the recovery of product in the collection areas. Two-inch pumps and water were also used to flush product from beneath the ice towards established collection points.

Approximately 120 cubic yards of contaminated soil was excavated and removed from the river bank at the location of the derailment. The excavator was also used to remove ice along the shoreline and facilitate removal of product from the river.

No product has been observed past 450 yards downstream of the incident and only a small amount of sheen has been observed upstream of the precautionary boom placed 900 yards downstream. No wildlife impacts were observed.