Iowa train derailment: Hazmat team on scene after oil leaks into river

Makayla Tendall , Danielle Gehr | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Train derails in northwest Iowa Heavy rain pounded northwest Iowa, causing the Rock River to flood. The flooding may be to blame for a train derailment that caused an oil spill.

DOON, Ia. — Thirty-two freight-train cars carrying crude oil derailed early Friday, forcing the evacuation of some northwest Iowa residents.

Oil leaked throughout the day in the rain-swollen Rock River, although cleanup efforts were well underway by evening.

UPDATE: 230,000 gallons of crude released into floodwaters after train derailment

The train derailed at about 4:30 a.m. Friday, said Andy Williams, a spokesperson for BNSF Railway Co. There were no injuries, he said. Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep said not all of the cars were leaking, but a significant number of them were.

Williams said BNSF crews, a hazardous materials squad and cleaning crews were all at work near the tracks south of Doon and north of Rock Valley. Vander Stoep said the derailment was likely connected to the flood, but it was still unclear late Friday what caused the accident.

"We don’t know how much is leaking or how bad it is," Vander Stoep said. "We've got some stuff out on the water now to soak it up, but the whole area is blocked off."

Williams said crews were containing the spilled oil to as small an area as possible, using containment booms, skimmers and vacuum trucks.

Diane Vande Berg, 55, has a clear shot of the derailment from her farm.

"Never thought I'd have to worry about an oil spill," said Vande Berg, who grew up on the farm she now inhabits. "Tornadoes, yes. Oil spill, no."

Vande Berg said no one can get into Doon, a city of about 600, unless they live there or are donating food. She said she probably would bring over a few pies.

The spilled oil left a strong odor in much of the area.

Jacob Faber, who also lives nearby, said many in the area had spent the previous night volunteering with flood recovery efforts, trying to fight off the rising waters that were blocking roads and covering expanses of land in Lyon and Sioux counties.

"There was water on the train track and the train tried to go over it," Faber said. Aerial photos of the accident site were not conclusive about the status of the tracks, and authorities said it was too early in the investigation to say what happened.

Kevin Van Otterloo, mayor of Rock Valley, said the oil had washed downriver to Rock Valley by about 7:30 a.m.

Water is spilling over the bloated banks of Rock River, which crested in Rock Valley early Friday at over 21 feet and was below 20 feet by evening.

"There’s water everywhere; to see what’s actually causing it is hard," VanderStoep said. "Something must have been weak or gave way, I don't know."

Drone video shows extent of Iowa derailment, oil spill Video provided by the Sioux County Sheriff's Office provides an aerial view of a train derailment and oil spill at the Sioux and Lyon County border.

The derailment forced a mandatory evacuation along Garfield Avenue between 270th and 280th streets in rural Doon in extreme southern Lyon County.

Williams said "a small number of residents living a half-mile away from the scene" were affected by the evacuation.

Faber, a 25-year-old construction worker from Rock Valley, lives about seven miles from the crash. He said here were about 30 giant tankers "thrown around like Legos" across the floodwaters.

He took drone footage from a friend's nearby property. The entire area smelled like exhaust fumes, he said.

"You can't describe how strong that oil smell is when you're close to it," Faber said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it had not launched an investigation but was monitoring the situation.

According to the National Institutes of Health, risks to human health from direct exposure to crude oil can include irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

Correction: Officials previously reported that the derailed train had 33 cars.

Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Patrick Anderson contributed to this story.

Check back as this story develops.