PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A punctured fuel tank on a train spilled 1,200 gallons of diesel onto the tracks and surrounding soil in Cottage Grove Tuesday, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said.
The incident happened at around noon near South 6th Avenue and Highway 99, just southwest of Bohemia Park.
The Oregon DEQ said the puncture was caused by railroad equipment and said the train did not derail and the diesel spill is not affecting any waterways.
State officials expected crews would begin excavating and removing diesel-contaminated soil on Wednesday and warned construction equipment may cause traffic delays in the area.
The train involved in the diesel spill is owned and operated by Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad. The company has deployed contractors to clean the spill, the Oregon DEQ said. The DEQ will oversee the cleanup.
The diesel spill occurred about two months after a derailed train spilled about 2,000 gallons of diesel near the Yaquina River. The Oregon DEQ also responded to this emergency.
Officials said some of the spilled diesel in that incident entered the Depot Slough, which feeds into the Yaquina River. The Oregon DEQ said they do not believe any of the diesel entered the nearby Yaquina River.
State officials said crews successfully cleaned up the spill near the Yaquina River. There were no reports of the spill impacting nearby wildlife, the Oregon DEQ said.
