A week after Whatcom derailment, here’s what’s happening to burned oil tank cars
Railroad tank cars damaged when an oil train derailed last week in Custer were moved Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 29, one week after 10 cars jumped the tracks and several burst into flames.
A crane on caterpillar tracks lifted the damaged rail cars one by one onto a flatbed truck for transport to a BNSF Railway facility, said railroad spokeswoman Courtney Wallace.
Wallace said the cars would be cleaned and recycled.
Meanwhile, a crew was preparing the other tank cars for lifting.
“They’re just making sure everything’s safe,” Wallace said.
Roads were still closed near the site and only local residents are being allowed entry.
Tracks through the derailment site have been repaired and are open.
No one was injured and no private property was damaged when the 108-car BNSF Railway train derailed shortly before noon Dec. 22.
Cause of the crash has not been disclosed, and the public — including journalists — had been kept from the scene as investigators from agencies such as the FBI, National Transportation Safety Board, Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Ecology sifted through the wreckage.
Damaged cars were spray-painted with the words “cleaned and purged” of oil.
“This has been a 24-7 operation,” Wallace said.
Three tank cars ruptured and their load of highly flammable Bakken crude caught fire, engulfing five cars initially. The railway initially said seven cars were involved.
Firefighters from several local fire departments fought the flames into the evening, joined by specialized firefighting units from the two Whatcom County oil refineries.
It was unknown how much oil spilled, but tank cars of the type that ruptured can carry about 30,000 gallons.
Initial tests showed no lasting pollution of nearby air or water, and no wildlife was harmed, said Ty Keltner, Ecology spokesman.
“It’s all under investigation,” Keltner said.
Further testing of the site will continue for lasting effects to groundwater and a nearby salmon stream.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 12:41 PM.
