Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Environmental Services Division

 

For Immediate Release                                                                

July 9, 2008

 

TRAIN DERAILMENT LEADS TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER SPILL

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Clark Ott or Sue Miller, DNR Manchester field office, at (563) 927-2640 (office) or (563) 920-1586 (Ott cell) or (563) 920-1588 (Miller cell)

 

GUTTENBERG — Cleanup is underway on the Mississippi River Wednesday morning following a train derailment south of Guttenberg.

 

Four Iowa, Chicago and Eastern railroad engines derailed around 3:00 a.m. Wednesday about 1.5 miles north of where the Turkey River meets the Mississippi. Following heavy rains Tuesday afternoon, a large rock slid down a steep slope, damaging the rails and leading to the early morning derailment.

 

All four train engines are partially submerged in the water and are losing diesel fuel and transmission oil. Five other train cars have spilled grain. Two cars carrying ethanol derailed near the water but do not appear to be leaking.

 

Spilled fuel and oil have reached about five miles downstream. The DNR is working with the railroad, the Iowa Department of Transportation and the U.S. Coast Guard to keep additional contamination from reaching the river. The railroad is also sending an environmental cleanup crew.

 

The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office is also working on the incident.

 

Writer: Jessie Brown

 

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