On July 27, 2010, EPA was notified by the NRC of a BNSF (RP) 19-railcar train derailment in Socorro County, NM that caused a spill of a unknown amount of fuel oil onto the ground and rail ballast. EPA contacted the RP for an update and to clarify the spilled volume and location of the incident. The RP indicated that between 30,000 to 50,000 gallons of vacuum gas oil was discharged during the derailment onto the ground and into an unnamed creek about a mile from the Rio Grande. The site is also right next, if not within the boundary of the Bosque del Apache NWR. After further on-site assessment, the RP updated the volume to 35,000 gallons total discharge from 3 railcars. EPA deployed OSC Brescia and the START-3 ER contractors to document the RP cleanup/removal activities and to ensure that a discharge or a threat of a discharge of oil into waters of the U.S. was eliminated.
