Derailed BNSF train spills 35,000 gallons of oil in Montana

Three tank cars leaked an estimated 35,000 gallons of oil after a BNSF train hauling crude from North Dakota derailed in rural northeast Montana, the latest in a series of wrecks across the U.S. and Canada, authorities said Friday.

No one was injured in the derailment Thursday night, which led to the temporary evacuation of some homes. It followed recent oil train crashes, including a 2013 explosion in Quebec that killed 47 people.

A hazardous-materials team contained the spill with earthen dams, and oil did not affect waterways, according to a preliminary report by Michael Turnbull of the U.S. Transportation Department. The report was based on information provided by Fort Worth-based BNSF that was still being confirmed, Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Michael Booth said.

Unlike many other accidents, no fire or explosions were reported after the train, bound for Washington state, derailed about 5 miles east of Culbertson, near the North Dakota border, officials said.

But about 30 people within a half-mile were ordered to leave their homes, Turnbull said. That order was lifted Friday morning.

It was not clear what caused more than 20 cars to topple from the train. It originated in Trenton, N.D., and had 106 loaded crude oil tank cars, two buffer cars and four locomotives, according to BNSF and state officials. The tank cars typically haul about 30,000 gallons apiece.

Two days earlier, a BNSF train carrying mixed cargo derailed about 20 miles away from Thursday’s accident, damaging about a mile of track. The derailments are not connected, railroad spokesman Matt Jones said.

Officials from the Federal Railroad Administration and BNSF could not say when the track was last inspected.

Under a rule enacted in April, oil shipped from North Dakota must be treated to reduce the chances of an explosion — by removing some of the volatile gases found in crude from the region. It was not known whether this shipment had gone through that process.

A BNSF hazardous-materials team arrived around 3:30 a.m. Friday, more than nine hours after the derailment, according to the Montana Department of Emergency Services. Officials said other railroad personnel arrived Thursday night in the first hours after the accident.

U.S. transportation officials recently extended an order for railroads to notify states about shipments of hazardous crude shipments and put in place new rules that require sturdier construction of tank cars hauling hazardous liquids. Critics have said the rules do not do enough to prevent derailments.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Derailed BNSF train spills 35,000 gallons of oil in Montana."