ROCKWOOD, Maine – Fuel, motor oil and hydraulic fluid from derailed train cars are saturating the ground and seeping into the Moose River, which connects to Little Brassua Lake, according to a Tuesday update from the Department of Maine Environmental Protection.
The DEP is overseeing the cleanup efforts of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail company after one of its freight trains derailed near Rockwood on Saturday.
According to Tuesday’s update, fuel and oil from the derailed cars still at the scene are spilling into waterways and officials can see an oily sheen that is visible on the water.
The train was carrying drums of hazardous materials, pentamethylheptane and ethanol, but they were removed from the site over the weekend. The spill at the site does not involve these hazardous materials, according to the DEP.
Biologists from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife visited the site of the derailment Tuesday, according to the DEP statement.
MDIFW Communications Director Mark Latti said DEP’s efforts to mitigate environmental damage reduced potential impacts to nearby wildlife.
“The assessment revealed no immediate impact on fish or wildlife in the area. The series of weirs surrounding the accident site, as well as another series of weirs downstream at the mouth of the creek, appear be operating effectively,” Latti wrote in a statement.
CPKC spokesperson Doniele Carlson said in an email to NEWS CENTER Maine, “Crews are using booms and absorbents to contain and clean up the released diesel and protect the environment. There is no timetable for completion of the site and environmental cleanup work.”
The DEP said its goal will be to contain and clean up the spilled oil and remove the wrecked railcars. Once completed, it will assess environmental impacts and remove oil-contaminated soil, according to the release.
On Monday, the railroad reopened train tracks after officials made repairs and conducted safety inspections.
CPKC has not provided any information on when the tracks were last inspected before the derailment.
