Canadian Pacific Railroad train derailment of denatured (3-5% natural gasoline and/or gasoline) ethanol into the Mississippi River.  This portion of the rail line is along a steep and remote river bluff.  Access is difficult.

At 1120 hours Central Time (CT), Wednesday, 2/4/15, a southbound Canadian Pacific freight train derailed 15 railcars on the right descending bank of the Mississippi River 10 miles north of Dubuque, Iowa near Baltown, Iowa.  One buffer car contained sand and 14 cars contained denatured ethanol.  Of the 14 cars containing product, 8 were determined to be compromised and leaking.  Of those 8, three were involved in the fire and three were partially in the river.  Initial reports indicated approximately 20,000-30,000 gallons (later revised to 53,785) of denatured (3-5% natural gasoline) ethanol were discharged impacting the Mississippi River.  Local, State, and Federal resources responded and are coordinating the remaining response efforts with the responsible party.

As of 2/12/15, the estimate of denatured ethanol not recovered during transloading operations is approximately 53,785 gallons.

The range of the Higgin’s Eye and Sheep Nose endangered mussels extends into the area and Unified Command are aware of the possibility of mussel beds nearby.

2/12/15 Update from Unified Command on the scene:

• air sparging units in the river near the spill scene continue to operate 
• monitoring and sampling continues minus eight (8) locations unified command agreed were no longer needed - CPR proposed only sampling at the spill location, since these are the only locations since the beginning (eight (8) days) where analytical results showed detections consistently
• data from river sampling continues to be similar as data previously reported - it should be noted that the highest detection to date from the water in the rivew was the day after the spill at the spill location with an ethanol concentration of 9,300 mg/L which is below the acute toxicity screening level for fish of 12,500 mg/L.  Over 500 dissolved oxygen (DO) readings have been collected thus far with all readings within normal range (lowest readings thus far was approximately 7% at the bottom of Sunfish Lake which is in the normal range).
• Vaccuming of ethanol impacted slush on top of the ice in the creek was still ongoing as of 2/12.

The RP has been identified as Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR).

Unified command held a meeting to discuss long-term sampling and monitoring at the Holiday Inn in Dubuque, Iowa at 1400 hours on 2/12/15.  Sampling and remediation plans going forward were proposed by CPR.  IDNR will be the approving authority of this plan, and likely will do so today.  CPR will primarily be sampling river water only at the spill scene vicinity.  IDNR is directing CPR to also sample/monitor at the Davenport water plant intake, as long as access can be obtained.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
CPR began metal salvage activities after all tankers were rendered safe to do so.  Railcars are being cut up for scrap metal/recycling and hauled out by truck. 

CPR continues to collect river samples at established location. 

IDNR Fish and Wildlife personnel will be analyzing the frozen substrate (sediment/mussel samples) that was collected thus far at the Upper Mississippi Environmental Science Center in LaCrosse, Wisconsion.  State and Federal fish and wildlife agencies continue to assess the impact to fish and wildlife including possible populations of the endangered Higgin's Eye and Sheep Nose mussels.  These officials are advising on response actions to minimize impacts to these populations.

A soil remediation plan has been posted for review on the FTP site.  CPR would like to initiate that phase of the response as early as next week.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
Adjustments to the river sampling plan will continue, as needed, as the remediation progresses.

No further pollution reports will be prepared until notable activities warrant or until the final pollution report is prepared. 

2.2.2 Issues
Monitoring and sampling that informs certainty of pollutant conditions in the river, below the ice, and downstream of the scene is very challenging.  IDNR has been made aware of USACE water quality monitoring downstream of the derailment.