Early this morning, an Iowa, Chicago & Eastern (IC&E) train derailed in Brownsville, Minn., resulting in more than 20 cars going off the tracks and four tanker cars plunging into the Mississippi River. Reports from the scene state at least one of the four tanker cars is carrying ethanol and is now leaking into the river.
IC&E is owned by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) railroad – a railroad with a reputation of poor safety and high derailment rates – and links onto the DM&E line in Southern Minnesota. According to Federal Railroad Administration statistics, DM&E/IC&E had 245 train accidents in the past four years. DM&E logs one of the worst safety records among the nation’s largest railroads, with a train accident rate 6 times higher than the national average.
Several Southern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin media outlets are covering the derailment and hazardous materials teams in the Twin Cities have been summoned to respond to the environmental impact of hazardous materials contaminating the river.
WEAU-TV reports:
The Minnesota Department of Transportation says a hazardous materials team is trying to get to a shutoff valve on a tanker. That tanker is leaking ethanol. The Department of Natural Resources is also on the scene.
The Houston County, Minn. Sheriff’s Department says Highway 26 is closed from Brownsville, Minn., to New Albin, Iowa. The trail derailed near the Highway 249 intersection in Reno, Minn. Highway 249 is also closed from Reno, Minn., to Freeburg, Minn.
Sheriff Dave Brand of neighboring Winona County says 28 cars went off the tracks. Four of them are tanker cars, carrying ethanol. All four of those tankers are in the Mississippi River. No one was hurt.
The Rochester-Post Bulletin reports (Video Included):
Minnesota Highway 26 between Brownsville and New Albin, Iowa, is closed because of the derailment of 20 cars of an Iowa, Chicago & Eastern train.
The Houston County Sheriff’s Department said the derailment was reported at 5:22 a.m. There are no known injuries, the department reported, and traffic is being detoured around the area.
Original article by: The Associated Press
KAAL-TV reports:
A train derailment in southeastern Minnesota could be related to the failure of the wooden railroad bridge.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Doug Neville says it’s not clear if the privately owned bridge collapsed under the train, or if derailed cars took it out.
He says the derailed train is owned by the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad, but it’s also unclear if that railroad also owns the bridge.
Tags: DM&E, IC&E, Ethanol spill, HAZMAT
