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Cleanup work is underway after a train derailed near Kamloops, B.C., and spilled fuel. The incident took place about 20 kilometres west of the city, on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., according to a statement from Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). The company said 17 loaded and empty rail cars derailed. Officials say no one was hurt in the incident. “Our concern, of course, was initially for the safety of our residents and the people in the incident," said Michael Grenier, the director for the Thompson-Nicola regional district. Grenier said that after confirming there were no injuries, officials then turned their focus to the water. "There's people that take their domestic supply from Kamloops Lake," he said. While the district said there is no current or expected risk to the Savona Community Water System, private water system providers are working with Interior Health to assess potential impacts. The cause of the derailment remains under investigation. CPKC said four of the cars that derailed are loaded with fuel, and two have leaked fuel into the surrounding environment. Five of the rail cars are loaded with gypsum, a powder product used in drywall, and one is loaded with pulp products. The remaining seven rail cars are empty, including three that previously contained gasoline, the company said. Grenier said he can see the spill site from his home and has watched the cleanup efforts unfold on the land and on the lake. What appears to be a boom — a floating containment device used for oil spills — has been set up on the lake, he added. CPKC crews and an environmental team are currently on-site conducting an assessment and beginning work on clean-up, said the Ministry of Environment and Parks in a statement. Members of the provincial government’s environmental emergency branch have also been deployed to the spill.
