A large rock on BNSF Railway’s tracks in eastern Washington punctured an engine’s fuel tank and spilled diesel near the Columbia River on Friday, according to the state Department of Ecology.
The incident spilled about 2,000 gallons of diesel, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas. The spill was contained, and did not reach the river, according to the ecology department.
The train, carrying general freight, originated in Pasco and was on its way to Seattle via Vancouver, according to BNSF.
The rock that caused the spill slid onto the center of the tracks from a nearby cliff, Melonas said. The rock was then struck by the train, rupturing the engine’s fuel tank. Response contractors contained the spill and began unloading the remaining fuel and cleaning up the contaminated rail bed, according to the ecology department.
The spill occurred near railroad mile 203, between Pasco and McNary Dam.
