PARKER PRAIRIE, Minn., March 29 (UPI) -- Cleanup of oil spilled in a train derailment is going well despite freezing central Minnesota weather, a spokesman for Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. said.
Canadian Pacific said it dispatched special equipment to remove oil from 14 railcars that derailed this week near Parker Prairie, Minn. The equipment would help facilitate the transfer of crude oil from Canada to other cars for later delivery.
Canadian Pacific spokesman Ed Greenburg was quoted by The Globe and Mail newspaper as saying cleanup operations were going well.
"The rail line was formally reopened early Thursday morning, following full track repairs, and mandatory inspections were completed," he said. "The investigation into the cause continues."
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said oil spilled on the site shouldn't seep into groundwater because the snow-covered ground is frozen. Accuweather.com reports regional temperatures may struggle to break the freezing point during the coming days.
MPCA said about 15,000 gallons of crude oil, or around 350 barrels, spilled during the derailment. That's around 225 barrels less than reported earlier. The agency said recovery is slowed by freezing temperatures and only around 1,000 gallons have been recovered.
An MPCA statement said published by The Globe and Mail said cleanup operations should take "a few weeks."
