A Canadian National Railway crude oil train derailed in Manitoba, Canada over the weekend. Thirty-seven cars derailed on a rancher’s property in St. Lazare, a rural municipality of Ellice-Archie. Jayme Corr, the owner of the property, said “You can smell crude in the air. That’s really concerning. There is oil leaking, and where they’re sitting is [near] a water lagoon.” Mr. Corr was concerned that the spilled crude oil would contaminate the water source that he relies on during the summer. Local residents were not surprised by the derailment and feel “the trains go faster, they’re longer, heavier, and the maintenance is getting less and less.”
Canadian National Railway has begun clean-up efforts, has contained the spill, and maintains that no oil has entered the nearby Assiniboine River.
Jonathan Abecassis, the media relations director for CN told the Winnipeg Sun “Our environmental team is preparing clean up and remediation to protect the environment. A perimeter has been set up around the area to facilitate site access. CN crews are conducting a full site assessment to determine how much product has spilled.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has also begun its investigation into the cause of the derailment.
‘You Can Smell Crude in the Air’: Oil Leaks From Train Derailment in Canada
