1.1.1 Incident Category

Emergency Response

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location

 A Canadian Pacific train derailment occurred at approximately 2230 hours on January 26, 2016, 4 miles south of Brownsville, MN. A total of fifteen cars derailed along the banks of the Mississippi River.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Of the fifteen cars that derailed, six cars of vegetable oil are in the Mississippi River, two have been found to be leaking oil. It is currently believed that both releases occurred through vent valves that were sheared off during the derailment. In addition, three cars of sodium chlorate derailed. One of the hopper cars containing sodium chlorate released a limited quantity of sodium chlorate from the top of the car.  It appears that the car is not breached. The other two sodium chlorate cars are on the embankment of the river.

This pool of the Mississippi River is home to the endangered Higgins eye pearly mussel.  USFWS is concerned about potential impacts to the mussel bed.  There is also open water downstream containing waterfowl, an oil film would endanger wildlife.  Any significant release of sodium chlorate could cause a saline stress to aquatic life as well.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

Air boat operations were conducted to drill sampling locations in the ice with ice augers.  YSI meters were used at these sample locations and in open-water near the downstream Lock and Dam to monitor for conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen, along with depth to bottom measurements and visual sheen inspections.  Water quality sampling was conducted on 1/27/16 through 1/30/16 upstream, downstream, and around the rail cars along with visible inspections for oil sheen. Water samples were collected on 1/27/16 through 1/31/16 for Oil and Grease (EPA 1664) and Chlorides (SW 9056). Only three of the 45 samples reported so far had low level detections for oil and grease.  Two of these were from samples taken near the leaking cars and one from a considerable distance downstream at the dam spillway.

Following the offloading and removal of the tanker cars from the river, USFWS inspected the cars and the shoreline and found four species of mussels and one fish in the sediment brought up with the derailed vegetable oil cars on 1/29/16 and 1/30/16.

2.1.1 Narrative

Following the derailment, there was a transition to unified command on 1/28 at 11:00am including representatives from the County Sheriff’s Office, MPCA, USFWS, EPA and the Railroad IC.  Among the objectives set were the safe offloading and recovery of the oil cars, installing containment safeguards, ensuring no secondary releases, product recovery from the river, Ice-operations safety, and safe transfer of the sodium chlorate.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

Sodium Chlorate Response:

A small amount of sodium chlorate was released from the top of a hopper car; none of the cars containing the sodium chlorate appear to have a critical breach.  Three 55-gallon drums of material were initially recovered from that release; an additional 1/2 drum of sodium chlorate impacted soil was collected and containerized on 1/29/16.  Sodium chlorate is a strong oxidizer and poses significant health and safety issues during trans-loading.  Canadian Pacific hired a contractor with specialized equipment to conduct the trans-loading.  This operation required a separate health and safety plan for responder/contractor safety. On 1/30/16, the specialized equipment for sodium chlorate transfer was staged and the process began and one of the two compartments in the rail car was transferred. The northernmost (upland) sodium chlorate car was the first to be emptied into a new transfer railcar.  By the afternoon of the 31^st, the second compartment was offloaded, one car was done. Offloading requires air monitoring for respirable dust during operations.  The average reading on top of the receiving sodium chlorate railcar was 0.245 mg/m3 with a one-time peak of 3.7 mg/m3. The ceiling for upgrades to level C respiratory protection is 5 mg/m3.  Train traffic blockages have been limited to 8-hour windows for the work crews. Tents had to be constructed to protect the product from getting wet during transfer in sleeting rain conditions. The cars on the embankment could not be moved to a safer location for offloading because they are aluminum.

Vegetable Oil Release Response:

All six vegetable oil cars that were in the River were pumped out on 1/28/16 and 1/29/16. The three northernmost cars were removed from the water and loaded out onto semi-trailers on 1/29/16 and the three southernmost cars were removed on 1/30/16. Inventory reconciliation from transloading indicated that approximately 660 gallons of vegetable was released from the northern leaking car. There were sheens observed where the derailed cars were in the water, clean-up crews were deployed with pompoms and oil rags to absorb any free product.  By the end of the day on the 30^th, there was only remnant drops of oil entrained in and under the ice and no recoverable product was left at the site.  The collection sumps at the plywood containment exhibited only a faint sheen and absorbent pads would not readily absorb any more oil.  Pompom oil collection efforts were suspended at nightfall on 1/130/16. The plywood containment was removed from the river on 1/31/16.

Water Quality Sampling:

CP sampling crews collected water quality samples at 15 locations selected upstream, downstream and at the tanker car sites. Sampling efforts were conducted on 1/27, 1/28, 1/29 and 1/30.  Initial sampling efforts included three downstream locations in the vicinity of Lock & Dam No. 8 where there was open water. The sites were modified based upon findings and included moving an additional point closer to the site on the downstream end, and moving sites away from the cars to prevent unsafe ice conditions for response around the rail cars. The samples were screened in the field for visual signs of oil sheen and conductivity/pH/dissolved oxygen and sent in for analyses for oil and grease and chlorides. 

EPA START collected 4 surface water samples (SW-01, SW-04, SW-09, and SW-13) on 1/29, 1/30, and 1/31.  Duplicate samples were also collected. Sample SW-13 was collected approximately 100 meters from the furthest downstream railcar (car #TILX270683).  START also collected water quality parameter readings from these locations with a YSI meter.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

EPA enforcement staff have been informed of site response progress.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics
Progress Metrics will be provided as they become available.

-  165,475 gallons of vegetable oil were off loaded from cars in the river without a secondary release.

-  Approximately 660 gallons of oil were released into the river, only a small percentage was recovered 

   with absorbent pompoms.

-  approximately 96,000 pounds of sodium chlorate have been safely offloaded from 1 of the three

   derailed cars.

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Another track block is scheduled for 2/1/16 from 0900 to 1700.  During this operational period, the specialized equipment will continue to transfer sodium chlorate from the derailed cars to the transfer cars. The next car to be offloaded will be secured to heavy equipment to prevent sliding or shifting during unloading.

Water quality sampling for oil will be suspended. River water sampling will be conducted twice a day near the sodium chlorate cars to check for any leaching or release into the river.  If any changes are found, then containment strategies will be implemented.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

Transfer remaining sodium chlorate to new railcars. Pick up debris from crash site.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

As of 14:00 on 01/31/16, USEPA has been removed from unified command.  MPCA and USFWS will take over lead on environmental and hazardous substance transfer follow-up. 

EPA will be called to provide assistance as requested.

2.2.2 Issues

None at this time.

2.5.1 Safety Officer

OSC Morrison serves as Safety Officers for EPA.

2.5.2 Liaison Officer

N/A

2.5.3 Information Officer

No information available at this time.

EPA 3

START 2

6.1 Internet location of additional information/report

6.2 Reporting Schedule

The Final PolRep will be issued after the next two sodium chlorate cars are transloaded.  A major snowstorm may occur on 2/2 which could push this operation off for a significant time (weeks in the worst case).