Train derails
Ethanol leaks force closure of Route 66

Gallup firefighters examine the bottom of a Burlington Northern railroad car Monday after a derailment near Rt. 66 and Allison Road. The accident, which caused two tanker cars to leak ethanol, forced emergency officials to close the road and evacuate the city wharehouses and shops north of the derailment, causing traffic delays for most of the afternoon. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Five Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway cars derailed Monday afternoon causing a flammable liquid to stream from at least two of the tankers' valves and requiring emergency personnel to block portions of West Route 66 for nearly three hours.

At about 2:10 p.m., New Mexico State Police officials were notified of the derailment that occurred at the Gallup rail yard on Warehouse Lane.

The cars were placarded with UN number 1993, which indicated to emergency response officials that the product flowing from the 27,000-gallon low-pressure liquid tankers was flammable.

Gallup Fire Chief Robert Garcia said first responders were initially concerned the liquid was the more flammable liquid petroleum gas, but after further investigation the substance was identified as ethanol.

"It's flammable, but not highly," Garcia said.

State Police Emergency Response Officer Ron Huffman said the tankers did not sustain any damage due to the derailment. But during the accident, the tankers' valves, located underneath the cars, were triggered causing about 600 gallons of ethanol to be released onto the tracks.

The tankers did not release the liquid simultaneously, but one following another. Members of the Gallup Hazardous Materials Unit quickly shut off the valves before the entire contents of the tankers could be released.

Huffman said responders were originally concerned about the flammability of the liquid and that it would be inhaled by residents and passers-by in the immediate area.

However, he said the cool, damp weather decreased the likelihood of the ethanol igniting.

Northwesterly winds blew the fumes into a vacant field instead of the vicinity of Highway 66. Huffman also said no water sources were contaminated with the substance.

"It was basically a small spill," he said.

The cause of the derailment is pending further investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Huffman said BNSF is required, by law, to notify the department of the incident.

"My guess is that it could be weather related," Huffman said.

A 1,000 yard perimeter was established around the accident site to protect the community from the spill. Roads were also closed at U.S. 66 and Mendoza, Allison and Arnold and Highway 66 and Margarite.

According to a statement released by the State Police in Sante Fe, rail yard employees were the only group to be evacuated.

No injuries were reported from the incident.

BNSF will be responsible for cleaning the site and for meeting EPA standards, Huffman said. He said most of the ethanol will be absorbed into the soil located near the tracks.

— Contact reporter Leslie Wood at (505) 870-1745 or (505) 863-6811 ext. 222.