A freight train derailed in northwest Washington shortly after midnight Thursday, spilling what state officials estimated could be up to 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, although a railroad spokesman ferate said it was much less.
The BNSF Railroad train crashed into a platform near a canal on the Swinomish Reservation in Anacortes. Most of the fuel spilled onto the ground, and no injuries or impacts to water or wildlife were reported, the state Department of Ecology said in a statement.
The estimated spill figure of 5,000 gallons was determined by the first environmental personnel to attend the scene, Emily Tasaka, communications manager for the state Department of Ecology, told HuffPost.
“The actual spill is from the front two locomotives and what was spilled was their diesel; it wasn’t actually the cargo he was carrying,” Tasaka said.
The train’s four tank cars were labeled as propane carriers but were empty at the time of the derailment, he said.
Lena Kent, a spokeswoman for BNSF, told HuffPost that the amount of fuel spilled was “minimal” and not 5,000 gallons, as state officials had reported. However, he was unable to provide the actual amount, saying it was speculation at this point.
“BNSF already has personnel working with local authorities on scene and the cause of the accident is under investigation,” Kent said in an email Thursday morning.
The derailment came just hours after another BNSF freight train derailed in western Arizona Wednesday night. That train was carrying corn syrup and no injuries were reported. The cause of the derailment was not immediately known, Kent told NPR.
The derailments come amid heightened concern about rail safety after last month’s derailment of a train in Ohio. The train was carrying hazardous chemicals and prompted a large-scale evacuation of the local area.
There are about 1,000 train derailments a year, according to data shared by the Federal Railroad Administration. BNSF, which operates an average of 1,200 trains a day, according to its website, reported 279 derailments last year.
Initial media reports said the train that derailed in Arizona on Wednesday was carrying hazardous materials, though those reports were later corrected.
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