Huge Fuel Spill on Upper Colorado River

[Brent]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this just in from Eagle County Emergency Management...

Emergency Managment has received the following reports. A train has derailed near Yarmony Mountain. The location is between State Bridge and Rancho Del Rio. The derailment occured early this morning. It is reported that 200,000 gallons of oil may be spilling into the Colorado River. One report indicated the train was also carrying 40,000 tons of coal. Fire Department, State Patrol Hazmat crews, health officers and emergency managment are on the scene. All reports have not been confirmed. We have no indication of injuries at this time.

http://www.eaglecounty.us/emergency/emergency.cfm

[klamb]

Just an update for everyone:
The train that jumped the track Tuesday night, June 22, was empty.

The stretch of railroad is along Orchard Mesa, near the confluence of the Gunnison and the Colorado--and the 15 Mile Reach aka: the critical habitat for two of the four endangered fish of the Upper Colorado River Basin.

The train that jumped the track on THURSDAY night (June 24) spilled four cars carrying coal into the river. A few other cars also jumped the track and tipped some additional coal into the water. Each car carried approximately 100 tons of coal--so, it is (according to the paper) over 400 tons of coal (not 40,000) that went into the river. The media is not reporting any fuel.

The Fish and Wildlife Service sent biologists to the 15 Mile Reach immediately who determined the black plume from the coal wouldn't harm the fish--unless, of course, the coal landed on them when it tumbled into the river.

Union Pacific has evidently been working on the tracks.

The Grand Junction Sentinel has been following the story pretty closely. They're on-line at www.gjsentinel.com.

That's all I've heard so far from the endangered fish Recovery Program folks.

Best,
Kara

[redbeard]

crikes!! maybe I should actually read the paper instead of just the funnies!!

how many trains would that be that have jumped the track in the last month then?? sounds like three just in this post!!!??

[klamb]

I think it's just the two: one on the 22nd and then another on the 24th.

[redbeard]

brent's link seems otherwise, with the dates being today's! god, I thought I might not have to be so brought down by coal since I left WV, aye ya aye!!

[diego1]

Previous posts are talking about different sections of the Colorado.

[klamb]

Yup. That's right. It is three coal train accidents inside a week. This morning, I must have been in some sort of "denial" because I misread the emergency management webpage and thought it was updating the earlier accidents. But, those were in a completely different county! Duh, on my part.

I just called the Eagle County folks and they said that it is just coal in today's derailment. The earlier reports of fuel turned out to not be true. But, they still have a boom out there.

Better to stick to what I know!
Best,
Kara

[redbeard]

even so that's three trains in one week!! maybe this happens all the time and I missed it, but sounds fishy to me...


edit, wasn't bashin you, K, just curious and suprised!! you do plenty for us!!

[Ed Hansen]

You know what I'm thinking? HAYDUKE LIVES!

[81230rivers]

I just rafted a section just upstream from that wreck. As the coal trains passed my 7 year old nephew would say "wow, neat". We caught two of those endangered Bonytails. We thought it best to put them back. Hope they didn't get squashed by all that coal.