DEQ gives update on 2018 oil spill at BNSF yard

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released an update regarding assessment of an oil spill in 2018 in the BNSF rail yard.

That site, an active locomotive fueling and maintenance rail yard, has operated since the 1890s and spills and leaks in the yard have led to the designation of the location as a state superfund facility, where DEQ works to facilitate the investigation and cleanup of hazardous substances.

The update said the 2018 spill, of more than 2,000 gallons from the rail yard’s wastewater treatment plant, was of a mixture of water and oil. The spill was quickly contained and no impacts to the Milk River or Bullhook were identified, the update said.

However, soil contamination was found under the treatment plant, in soil that cannot be removed without impacting the structural integrity of the building, the update said.

A risk assessment was conducted in 2018, and an addendum was added to address the exceeding levels at the plant, the update said. DEQ and BNSF continue to work on finalizing the addendum, which includes information on additional small releases that have occurred in the rail yard since 2018.

The update also said DEQ recently approved BNSF’s background evaluation on manganese in groundwater. Manganese is naturally occurring in Montana and has been identified as having a higher level in the Havre area.

BNSF also has performed investigative work to identify contamination and evaluate the risk to human health at the property located at 801, 811 and 829 First Street, known as the former Crowder Oil. The results of the investigation will be provided to DEQ, the update said.

Once the risk assessment addenda is finalized, the update said, that information and clean-up levels specific to sites investigated will be used in the next phase of the superfund process which is, the feasibility study, the update said. That will serve as the road map in the evaluation of cleanup options.

The update said BNSF continues to evaluate groundwater contamination twice a year, with sampling in June and December to represent low and high groundwater conditions. The sampling occurs at locations including in the rail yard and at residential wells in North Havre that are down gradient from the rail yard and have historically shown petroleum and chlorinated solvent impacts, the update said.

Contamination associated with the the rail yard has not migrated across or under the Milk River, the update said.