Qld: Derailment cleanup continues

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2000
Qld: Derailment cleanup continues

BRISBANE, Feb 17 AAP - Queensland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was continuing
to monitor clean-up work in north Queensland where a train derailed on Tuesday, spilling
120,000 litres of diesel fuel.

Workers have rebuilt an embankment that had burst and built a second embankment to
try to prevent the fuel reaching the Flinders River.

The river was in danger of contamination yesterday after a bank built on Tuesday to
contain the fuel burst, when heavy rain sent a strong flow of water down the Namoi Creek.

An EPA spokesman said workers were now confident the diesel would not reach the river.

The spokesman said most of the diesel had been contained within 700 metres of the burst
dam, although some had been seen about 5km away in the Namoi Creek, but still 10km from
the Flinders River.

The fuel was spilt when a freight train came off the line between Townsville and Mount
Isa, tearing up 400m of track near Richmond, about 450km west of Townsville.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said there was concern that further storms in the area
overnight might hamper cleanup efforts.

AAP jfs/ej/br

KEYWORD: DERAIL DAYLEAD

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