Diesel fuel spill contained in Seattle derailment

Published 2:08 pm Thursday, August 20, 2009

SEATTLE — An accident in a rail shipping yard in south Seattle spilled 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said an engine was moving cars in a switching yard today when a problem with a coupling caused five cars to roll into two engines on a side track.

The collision ruptured a fuel tank. The state Ecology Department said the spill was contained at the scene and did not reach drains or nearby Elliott Bay. BNSF hired a contractor to help with the cleanup.

Melonas says an engineer on one of the engines was taken to a hospital to be checked for back pain. Two cars derailed that were carrying particle board.

The switch yard and BNSF mail line continue to operate.