ROCKWOOD, Maine — Fuel, engine oil, and hydraulic fluid from derailed train cars is saturating the soil and leaking into Moose River, which connects to Little Brassua Lake, according to Tuesday's update from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
The DEP is overseeing the railroad company Canadian Pacific Kansas City's clean-up efforts after one of its freight trains derailed near Rockwood Saturday.
According to Tuesday's update, fuel and oil from the derailed cars still at the scene are spilling into waterways, and officials can see an oily sheen that's visible on the water.
The train was carrying drums of hazardous materials, pentamethylheptane, and ethanol, but they were removed from the site over the weekend. The spilling at the site does not involve these hazardous materials, according to the DEP.
Biologists with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife visited the derailment site on Tuesday, according to the DEP's release.
MDIFW Communications Director Mark Latti said the DEP's efforts to mitigate environmental harm reduced the potential impacts on nearby wildlife.
"The evaluation revealed no immediate impacts to fish or wildlife in the area. The series of booms surrounding the crash site, as well as another series of booms downstream at the mouth of the stream, appear to be working effectively," Latti wrote in a statement.
CPKC spokesperson Doniele Carlson said in an email to NEWS CENTER Maine: "Teams are using boom and absorbents to contain and clean up the released diesel and protect the surrounding environment. There is no timeline for completion of the site and environmental clean-up work."
The DEP said its focus will be to contain and clean up the spilled oil and remove wrecked railcars. According to the release, once that's finished, it will assess the environmental impacts and remove the oil-contaminated soil.
On Monday, the railway reopened the train tracks after officials made repairs and conducted safety inspections.
CPKC has not provided any information as to when the tracks were last inspected before the derailment.