A history of DM&E hazardous material spills

The recent 30,000 gallon ethanol spill near Courtland, Minnesota, is nothing new for the DM&E Railroad, and opponents of its proposed expansion plans have repeatedly called into question the railroad's safety record. In fact, in the last 20 years, the DM&E has spilled over 116,000 gallons of hazardous material — and that's just the known amount.

The DM&E contends, however, that its safety record has improved in recent years. Yet over 94,000 gallons of that spillage, more than 80%, has come since 2000. For a perspective, 94,000 gallons is about the capacity of a swimming pool measuring 75 feet in length, 30 feet in width, 3 feet deep in the shallow end and 8 feet deep in the deep end.

The table below details those spills, which include ethanol, flammable adhesive, oil, diesel, coolant and other petroleum products.

Source: Federal Railroad Administration
FRA only requires the railroad to report spills of hazardous material as freight. FRA does require the railroad to report spills of other freight or of hazardous materials that are not freight, such as diesel fuel used to power locomotives.
Date	City (In or Near)	State	Gallons	Hazardous Material	Details
11/22/06	Courtland	Minn.	30,000	Ethanol	Seven-car derailment.
7/27/04	Balaton	Minn.	60,000	Ethanol	One locomotive and 14 cars derailed at 30 mph, causing three tankers to rupture or leak and the evacuation of 100 people. 31,000 gallons of soybean oil also spilled. Groundwater monitoring continues.
8/24/00	Heinz	Iowa	15	Flammable adhesive	Seven-car derailment at 40 mph caused one car to leak.
7/13/99	Lawler	Iowa	45,200	Ethanol	One locomotive and 24 cars derailed at 29 mph, causing two cars to rupture.
4/25/98	New Albin	Iowa	Unknown	Unspecified	30-car derailment at 30 mph caused one car to rupture. Capacity of tank car is about 30,000 gallons.
Subtotal			105,215
Source: South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Spills and releases reported to the South Dakota Ground Water Quality Program. "Unknown" quantity typically indicates soil contamination from repetitive spills or prolonged leaking.
Date	City (In or Near)	State	Gallons	Material	Details
11/7/05	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	Oil	Large pile of contaminated soil from cleanup remained at the roundhouse site.
5/15/04	Volga	S.D.	3,200	Diesel	A metal plate that secures the track snapped and punctured the fuel tank on a locomotive, which left a 17-mile trail of fuel.
8/26/00	Brookings	S.D.	720	Diesel	Fuel leaked from locomotive following train accident caused by sabotage.
7/27/97	Belle Fourche	S.D.	Unknown	Waste oil and hydraulic oil	Track usage spills in rail yard.
9/9/96	Huron	S.D.	100	Diesel	Spill caused by overfilling locomotive.
4/18/96	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	oils & grease	Acting on an anonymous complaint, the state found contaminated soil that DM&E had removed from a maintenance site and placed in two rail cars. EPA Expedited Consent Agreement in 2002 ordered DM&E to comply with oil-pollution prevention regulations at this site and pay a civil penalty. During an inspection, EPA had found nine violations of the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan regulations of the Clean Water Act.
10/13/94	Huron	S.D.	30	Diesel	Spill caused by "operational error"
9/28/94	Huron	S.D.	120	lube oil	Spill caused by "operational error"
9/19/94	Huron	S.D.	25	Diesel	Spill caused by overfilling locomotive.
6/22/94	Huron	S.D.	10	oil	Anonymous tip revealed leak caused by equipment failure.
4/27/94	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	Water Oxidizing Agent (coolant)	Anonymous tip led state to label incident "dumping" by DM&E.
4/25/94	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	Diesel	Leak from 10,000-gallon underground storage tank. Tank was removed.
11/3/93	Wall	S.D.	200	Diesel	Derailment ruptured fuel tank on locomotive.
7/26/93	Wasta	S.D.	1,000	Diesel	Derailment ruptured fuel tank on locomotive.
1/27/93	Midland	S.D.	60	Diesel	Spill caused by overfilling locomotive.
10/22/92	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	fuel oil	Leak from above-ground storage tank. State issued DM&E a Notice of Violation for failure to report releases. Case is still open because contaminants continue to be removed from the site.
6/3/92	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	Diesel	Long-term surface spills at roundhouse site.
11/20/90	Pierre	S.D.	Unknown	Petroleum	Repeated overfilling in refueling yard. Site continues to be monitored for deep contamination of groundwater.
5/23/90	Pierre	S.D.	250	JP 4 jet fuel	Derailment caused five tankers to tip and two to release jet fuel, possibly contaminating groundwater. Derailment and spill apparently were not reported to FRA – a violation of FRA regulations.
3/7/89	Huron	S.D.	500	Diesel	Derailment ruptured fuel tank on locomotive.
1/18/88	Pierre	S.D.	200	Fuel Oil	Leak from above-ground storage tank
5/11/87	Huron	S.D.	Unknown	Oil Pits	Long-term dumping of locomotive sludge into unlined settling ponds at roundhouse contaminated soil, groundwater and the river that provides drinking water to Huron. EPA in 1996 ordered cleanup that cost more than $6 million. UP, which acquired the original owner of the site, sued DM&E over nonpayment of 10-percent share of cleanup costs.
Subtotal			6,415
Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Date	City (In or Near)	State	Gallons	Material	Details
8/21/06	Utica	Minn.	300	Diesel	Collision with truck at highway-rail crossing ruptured fuel tank on locomotive.
9/26/03	New Ulm	Minn.	100	Diesel	Derailment ruptured fuel tank on locomotive.
12/29/96	Revere	Minn.	4,800	Diesel	Derailment ruptured fuel tank on locomotive.MPCA issued DM&E an Administrative Penalty Order, which contains a monetary penalty and a schedule of actions the violator must follow to return to compliance with state or federal environmental laws.
6/21/93	Waseca	Minn.	Unknown	Diesel	Anonymous complaint described fuel from overfilled locomotive entering storm sewer.
Subtotal			5,200
Total spills			116,830		Does not include numerous releases of "unknown" quantity.

Chart compiled by Jon Holten of Holten Communications