Two BNSF Railway trains derail, one in Washington and one in Arizona
DALLAS — Fort Worthbased BNSF Railway experienced two derailments this week, one in Arizona and another in Washington state, with the latter spilling diesel fuel on tribal land along the Puget Sound.
BNSF, which was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 2010, said that the cause of both incidents are under investigation.
The derailment in Anacortes, Wash., involved two locomotives on Thursday around midnight local time. No one was injured, but some diesel fuel leaked, BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent said.
“BNSF already has personnel working with local authorities at the scene and the cause of the incident is under investigation,” Kent said in a statement.
The spill occurred on the Swinomish Indian Tribe’s property, behind their hotel and casino, according to the Washington Department of Ecology’s spokesperson Scarlet Tang. The tribe has a population of about 4,700, according to the National Congress of American Indians.
The ecology department estimates no more than 2,500 gallons spilled, said Tang. That’s less than its original estimate of 5,000 gallons. The department will update the estimate after BNSF moves the locomotives to a safe location and measures the remaining fuel in it, Tang said.
“We were fortunate that this spill went to land instead of the water on the other side of the railroad tracks,” Tang said.
The EPA, Washington’s ecology department and contractors will work to clean up the contaminated soil, Tang said.
State, tribal and contract cleanup teams were responding and working to remove the remaining fuel from the locomotives before righting them. A hazmat team from a nearby oil refinery was also available to provide additional spill response equipment.