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(Reuters) – Workers contained nearly half of crude oil spilled near Rock River in northwestern Iowa over the weekend following a derailment of a freight train on Friday. announced the BNSF Railway Co.
About 100,000 gallons were burgled using floods on the estimated 230,000 gallons dumped, BNSF said in a statement on Saturday. The spill raised concerns about downstream drinking water. The company did not answer Sunday's questions about cleaning progress.
Nobody was injured in the derailment, during which 32 cars came off the rails, 14 of which leaked at least some of their contents, the BNSF said. The derailment occurred south of Doon, a town of a few hundred people. The cause has not been confirmed, although Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds attributed it to a violent storm and sudden floods in an emergency proclamation issued by his office. Saturday.
The spill threatened to contaminate residents' drinking water about 150 miles (240 km) downstream in Omaha, Nebraska.
Metropolitan Utilities District, which provides drinking water to the Omaha metropolitan area, said it was monitoring the spill. If necessary, it would be necessary to move the pumping of water to two other water treatment plants, which are fed by another river unrelated to the spill, the company said in a statement released on Friday. . The company did not respond to a request on Sunday for an update of its monitoring.
BNSF, a unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said it used skimmers and vacuum trucks to clean up the spill and minimize damage to the environment. The spill posed no risk to nearby workers or residents, BNSF said.
Report by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Richard Chang
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