BNSF locomotive leaks up to 1,000 gallons of diesel while traveling through northern Montana

Officials have confirmed that a BNSF Railway locomotive leaked up to 1,000 gallons of diesel while traveling through northern Montana this week.

A BNSF train leaked the fuel between Havre and West Glacier. In a Tuesday morning email, BNSF wrote that an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the leak, which was discovered at the Belton station located near West Glacier.

“An initial examination indicates the release was caused by a leak within the fuel system of the unit, resulting in the loss of an estimated 900-1,000 gallons of dyed diesel fuel,” the company wrote. “BNSF teams continue to investigate the corridor, but to date, only a thin and intermittent trail of fuel has been observed on top of the ballast along the roughly 65-mile route between Browning and Belton.”

BNSF added that it doesn’t expect to find “any concentrated releases” beyond that 65-mile stretch of track.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality received notification of the spill at about 11 a.m. Monday. DEQ spokesperson Moira Davin wrote in an email to Montana Free Press that BNSF’s crews did not observe impacted waterways during their initial scouting. The Middle Fork of the Flathead River and Bear Creek parallel BNSF tracks along much of the 65-mile stretch the company is investigating.

DEQ is working with BNSF to develop a clean-up plan and the locomotive responsible for the leak has been taken to a train yard in Whitefish for further investigation, Davin wrote. 

A spokesperson from Glacier National Park wrote in a Monday afternoon email to MTFP that the park had assembled a team to look for signs of spillage along the stretch of railroad that runs along the park boundary. 

BNSF Railway, a subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, is the largest train operator in Montana. It owns about 2,000 miles of track, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.