PASCO — A large rock on BNSF Railway’s tracks in eastern Washington punctured a locomotive’s fuel tank Friday and spilled diesel near the Columbia River, according to the state Department of Ecology.
About 2,000 gallons of diesel spilled, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas. The spill was contained, and did not reach the river, the DOE said.
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 train struck the rock, rupturing the engine’s fuel tank. Response contractors contained the spill and began unloading the remaining fuel and cleaning up the contaminated rail bed, the DOE said.
The spill occurred near railroad mile 203, 16 miles west of Pasco on the way to McNary Dam.
