Cold Weather Helps Keep Spilled Chemicals In Place At Richland Co. Derailment Site

RICHLAND CO., N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — The cold weather helped keep chemicals that spilled from a derailed Canadian Pacific train from spreading very far.

Emergency Management Director Brett Lambrecht says with temperatures well below freezing, the leaked chemicals remained within about 100 feet of the derailment site south of Wyndmere.

Liquid asphalt and ethylene glycol from six railcars mostly hardened and remained on the surface of the ground.

Some propylene gas also leaked from a tank car that was punctured in the crash, but officials were able to patch the leak.

A broken rail is believed to be the cause of 31 of the 70 cars derailing Sunday.

There were no injuries, fires or evacuations.

The cleanup of the chemicals is expected to take about two weeks.