Derailment in Bordulac July 5

Article updated Monday, July 8 at 1:20 p.m. to include new information

An early morning train derailment on the east edge of Bordulac Friday, July 5, led to 29 cars leaving the tracks and igniting a large fire at the site.

At approximately 3:53 a.m. on Friday, first responders from Carrington Fire and Rescue and CHI Carrington EMS were dispatched to a location at 2nd St. S.E. and 75th Ave. S.E. for a hazardous materials incident near Lake George just outside Bordulac.

Ten to 15 cars were reported to have caught on fire, with an estimate of 25 to 30 total cars leaving the tracks upon initial inspection. The train was traveling eastbound through Bordulac when the derailment occurred.

No injuries were reported from the accident, though EMS was on scene to provide backup for any fire or hazmat team personnel working to extinguish the fire and clean up and clear the site.

Heavy rains that came through the Carrington area the previous day may have been the culprit for the derailment. At the site of the incident, a culvert partially washed out, compromising the railroad bed. Though much of the estimated 145-car train passed through Bordulac without issues, the tail end of the train was where the accident happened.

County Road 1613, locally known as the Bordulac Highway, was closed to traffic, along with portions of Highway 200, during the early morning hours of July 5 as county and state officials worked to keep persons away from the area. The town of Bordulac was under mandatory evacuation, as well as one rural residence approximately 1/2 mile from the scene.

The fire burned for the remainder of the morning hours and continued for several more days, while CF&R and other coordinating departments worked around the clock to contain it.

According to Stutsman County Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking, working as Foster County's emergency manager, primary goals set forth at an incident command meeting the afternoon of the accident were threefold: to preserve the lives and safety of residents and responders, stabilizing the incident, and minimizing environmental impact.

Along with extinguishing and cooling the rail cars, tactical objectives also included removing as much material possible from the cars, and preparing the site for heavy equipment to remove them.

Kirking said that since the area of the incident is in a wet, boggy and marshy area, timbers have been deployed to stabilize the scene in order for responders to better combat the blaze and engage in cleanup operations.

"We just needed to get our ducks in a row before we attack it," Kirking said that morning.

He reported at the initial meeting later on Friday that two pumping trailers doused the derailed cars "with success."

"Quenching the fires has had an effect on the plume, slightly lightening its color from black to gray," said Kirking, noting that the smoke color change meant fewer materials actively burning and more steam released into the air. As a result, he said that the plume has lost upward development, and that air, soil and water monitoring continues with no life safety risks.

At 4 p.m. on Friday, NDResponse issued a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for one nautical mile surrounding the derailment site and 1,000 feet above the site and below, which was in effect for 48 hours.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which arrived on scene Saturday, the contents of the derailed cars involved methanol, anhydrous ammonia and plastic pellets. Kirking said that the burning pellets contributed to the black smoke from early in the crash. NTSB has been at the site, along with officials from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Saturday morning updates revealed that firefighting operations throughout the night and morning were incredibly successful, according to Kirking, and much of the fire had been extinguished by that time, with occasional flare ups. Later that evening, recovery efforts for the rail cars began.

Because the cars still have product inside of them, Kirking said that each unit must be individually evaluated, relocated and emptied of as much materials as possible before final removal can occur.

"The situation is being closely monitored by environmental specialists to ensure as little product as possible is lost," he said.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC) has developed an in-depth and procedural recovery plan, and local responders have been briefed to the plan's specifics and were still on-site as of Sunday afternoon, July 7 and beyond, for anything that may arise.

He reassured residents on July 6 that readings from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regarding air contamination in the area were effectively near zero, and that remote monitoring downwind also showed no contamination. On Sunday, however, Kirking said air monitors detected low levels of anhydrous ammonia after one rail car began venting during removal from the site. For precautionary purposes, Bordulac-area residents were subject to a shelter-in-place notice, which has since been lifted.

Monday, July 8's work continued with cleanup duties as previously reported, as the incident transitions from emergency response to the recovery stage.

Patrick Waldron, spokesman for CPKC, said that car removal was accomplished Sunday, and that all hot spots from the previous blaze were extinguished.

"With rail cars removed and secured, work to repair the railroad track proceeded. Those repairs were completed Monday morning," said Waldron. "Rail traffic is resuming Monday following track safety inspections."

Kirking concluded, "I would like to commend the efforts of responders, state and federal partners, the selfless aid of mutual aid partners, and the community commitment of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway for their prompt and proportional response."

For those who wish to contact Kirking regarding developments on the ground, he can be reached at his e-mail address, [email protected], or his cell number at (701) 368-0664. The e-mail address for CPKC is [email protected].

(Editor's Note: The roads in and around Bordulac are now open to local traffic only, but Carrington Fire and Rescue and other agencies urge caution as cleanup and recovery efforts continue. News of the road reopening reached the Independent on Thursday after the July 15 edition went to press. This notice is considered to supersede the print edition's reporting that roads were still closed.)