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Written by THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Thursday, 03 July 2008 |
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LYTTON, B.C. - A B.C. Environment Ministry official says one tank car from a CP Rail (TSX:CP) derailment near Lytton is leaking ethylene glycol.
Rick Adams says the unit that's completely submerged has been seeping what he calls small amounts of the chemical into the Thompson River since the incident Tuesday evening.
Adams says the other car that is partially submerged was inspected by scuba divers on Wednesday.
"They determined that valves were still intact," he said. "The car that's fully submerged had its inlet-outlet and pressure relief valves sheared off in the accident and that car is believed to be leaking slowly to the river."
Adams says a monitoring station has been set up with lab results expected in a day or two that will indicate whether trace amounts of the substance can be detected.
A spokesman for the David Suzuki Foundation says such small amounts do not pose a worry because of the huge volume of water in the Thompson River.
"It has to be in fairly large concentrations to cause any harm," said John Werring.
"Right now with the high flows in the Thompson River and the volume of flow it would dilute that ethylene glycol to a point where it's virtually non-toxic."
The freight train cars jumped the tracks near Lytton, B.C., after being hit by a rock slide just north of the tiny Fraser Canyon community.
A clean-up crew has removed a rail car that remained upright on the track.
Glycol is used in antifreeze. It is also used in automobiles and personal computers. It has a low freezing point and is used as a de-icing fluid for windshields and aircraft.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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