AK Railroad derailment leads to fuel spill near Talkeetna

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A train derailment involving two Alaska Railroad locomotives was the cause of a diesel fuel spill, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

A prepared statement from the DEC said that the spill was reported at around 3:15 a.m. Friday morning, roughly 20 miles north of Talkeetna at railroad milepost 248, in an area known as the Curry siding.

Anna Carey, the environmental program manager for the DEC, told Alaska’s News Source that diesel fuel was released from one of the trains involved in the derailment.

She said a 2,600-gallon fuel tank was punctured, and the amount of fuel spilled is estimated to be “less than capacity.”

“ADEC has been providing oversight on this cleanup and coordinating with the railroad, as well as other state resource agencies, including Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Alaska Department of Natural Resources,” explained Carey, “to make sure that the environment is prioritized during this cleanup.

“Right now, the fuel that was spilled seems to be in a limited area,” she added, “and not migrating towards the Susitna River, but we’ll continue monitoring the cleanup until it’s complete.”

A press release from the DEC said that while the spill occurred roughly 400 feet from the Susitna River, no impact to surface waters have been reported.

Also, no wildlife impacts have been observed, she said.

“Right now, they have oil sorbent pads out and have boomed off the area,” Carey said.

Carey added that a culvert that was uphill was blocked in order to make sure that the spill stays contained.

“Then, they are going to be making a plan to excavate and remove the contaminated soil from the area,” she said.

She didn’t have a time frame for cleanup completion, but said the area would be “cleaned up in accordance with our regulations.”

“Anytime the environment is impacted, we take it seriously,” added Carey. “It’s a concern to us, and we’ll definitely be here until it’s complete. Right now, this spill is definitely in a limited area, and we’re not anticipating any major impacts to the environment.”

Carey said that the Alaska Railroad currently has a track open in that area, but she “could not speculate” on what caused the derailment to begin with, or the effect on train service.

Multiple calls from Alaska’s News Source to the Alaska Railroad have not been returned as of publication.

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