1 April 2008
Train Derails Near Lake O'Hara
Lake O'Hara Alberta - A westbound Canadian Pacific Railway
train derailed on Wednesday spilling potash from two car containers.
Nearly two-dozen cars left the tracks near Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park around 2:30 p.m. with a pair completely
overturned and left lying perpendicular to the rails.
"There is no environmental concern, no injuries in the derailment, and no public safety issues with the incident," said CPR
spokesperson Breanne Feigel. "Potash is not a regulated commodity and it's not a danger."
Potash is used primarily as a fertilizer and the load being carried was en route from Saskatchewan. The product was vacuumed into a
holding tank and will be put into another train car at a later date.
The cause of the incident is not known and is still under investigation by CPR. Feigel would not speculate as to the possibilities of
the derailment but said that they will be looking at a number of factors.
CPR environmental engineers were on scene soon after the accident, according to Feigel.
Park wardens and Environment Canada representatives were also on hand because the accident occurred in a national park.
"We will be looking at the site this spring to see if there is a problem with lush growth in the area. The spill was contained and
it was quite small so we don't anticipate a lot of problems," said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager for Lake Louise, Yoho,
and Kootenay National Parks.
"We are lucky in this case. The visible impacts to the environment are low impact at this stage. We'll have a better look once
they finish their work and again when the snow melts."
CPR has stated that if there is any damage to vegetation they will work closely with Parks Canada to ensure that it is replaced and
dealt with properly.
With the accident occurring alongside the highway there is a good opportunity for weeds and non-native species to
establish in disturbed areas, according to Hunt.
"We will make sure that is dealt with accordingly," he said.
The majority of the two-dozen cars left the site by Thursday and heavy machinery was used to lift the overturned cars back
onto the rails.
No train traffic was halted as a result of the derailment. Re-routing options were made through Crowsnest Pass to continue
moving train traffic westbound. Crews were also on hand to direct and manage vehicular traffic along the Trans-Canada
Highway.
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