Train Derails In Western Wisconsin; Alcohol Tankers Leaking Into Miss. River

[riversedge]

Source: CBS







November 7, 2015 12:33 PM


Filed Under: Alma, American Legion, BNSF Train, Buffalo County, Buffalo County Sheriff's Office, County Road, Highway 35, Highway 37, North Main Street, Red Wing, Riverview Drive, Spring Creek Road, Train, Train Derailment, Train Derails, Wisconsin


MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A BNSF train derailed Saturday morning just north of the Wisconsin city of Alma, which is about 30 minutes southeast of Lake City.

Buffalo County Chief Det. Colin Severson says the train was heading southbound when multiple cars derailed at about 8:40 a.m.

A BNSF Railway spokesperson 25 cars derailed, 10 of which are empty auto carriers, near Highway 35 at County Road I.

Several of the other cars are tankers carrying denatured alcohol — five of which have tipped into the Mississippi River and are leaking from vents atop the cars.

Read more: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/11/07/sheriff-train-derails-in-western-wisconsin/

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[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Denatured alcohol is poisonous.

There don't seem to have been any injuries, but dumping denatured alcohol into the Mississippi is not a good thing.

[NutmegYankee]

3. I wonder what was added to denature it.

Sometimes it's just a bittering agent.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Usually methanol. It's mostly used for industrial purposes, as a solvent.

They can denature it with other chemicals, depending on its use.

[James48]

5. Unknown which type of alcohol

Could be methanol. Could be ethanol.

Could be that it is ethanol being hauled for vehicles (to become E-10 or E-85).


It is far less toxic than if it had been petroleum, or crude oil, or gasoline, or jet fuel.

Alcohol disburses in water and damage is much less than oil would be.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. That's true, but it's still not a good thing to spill.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Empty Auto Racks ahead of loaded

tankers and on a down grade,receipt for Stupid.

[Lifelong Protester]

8. Glad it's not one of the many oil trains

you see through here. Those are an accident waiting to happen.

[question everything]

10. This is why we need to replace trains with pipelines (nt)

[Lifelong Protester]

11. Maybe we ought

to figure out how we can use less oil...or focus on infrastructure (better rails) or both.

[Scuba]

9. Isn't there one of our candidates who wants to spend money upgrading our infrastructure?

Oh yeah, there is ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/01/27/bernie-sanders-wants-to-spend-1-trillion-on-infrastruture/

[Jimbo S]

12. The River Road is well known

Two sets of rails along each side of the river. A train rolls along the Wisconsin side about once very fifteen minutes, parallel to State Highway 35.