Crash spills 30,000 gallons of fuel

April 3, 2012

State officials are trying to determine the environmental threat posed by 30,000 gallons of petroleum product spilled into a ditch Saturday near Plummer, Minn., the result of a rail accident.

A semi-trailer struck a Canadian Pacific Railway train where it crosses U.S. Highway 59 south of town, killing the driver and releasing the petroleum product.

Dan Olson, spokesman for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in Detroit Lakes, said the liquid spilled into a ditch along the highway, spreading about a quarter of a mile.

Pollution Control inspectors tested the liquid Monday to determine the contaminants it contained and in what amount.

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