Canada confirms derailed rail car leaking

Tag : Ethylene Glycol

LYTTON, British Columbia, July 3 (UPI) -- Canadian environmentalofficials have acknowledged a rail tanker car derailed by alandslide into a British Columbia river is leaking a toxicchemical.

The derailment of four Canadian Pacific Railway ( NYSE:CP ) chemical cars into the Thompson River happened Tuesday.Initially, rail officials said the cars carrying ethylene glycolwere intact, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported Thursday.

But at a Wednesday night public meeting in the town 100 milesnortheast of Vancouver, Environment Ministry spokesman DennisRedford broke different news.
"Well, there has been a release. There's no doubt about it. We havethree holes in one tank -- they're small holes," Redford said.

The liquid chemical is used in the manufacture of antifreeze andwindshield washer fluid.
CPR environmental engineer Kevin Houle told the meeting because theriver was fast-flowing and ethylene glycol is biodegradable,"maximum concentrations you would find (downstream) would be belowanything that would cause any environmental impacts," the reportsaid.