MINOT, N.D. — The number of people who have sought medical attention and are continuing to do so because of the anhydrous ammonia spill west of Minot Jan. 18, has increased dramatically, the Minot Daily News reports.
Ward County Emergency Manager Thom Mellum told a news conference at the city auditorium that as of noon Wednesday, 590 people have been treated at clinics and doctors’ offices. That’s in addition to the 400 or so people who had been treated at Trinity Hospital and the Edison School aid station earlier.
Mellum said 32 had been admitted for treatment, but that all had been released. Meanwhile, Canadian Pacific Railway officials told those at the news conference Wednesday they are working as fast as possible to clean up the derailment site west of Minot and allow evacuated people to return to their homes.
Darcie Park, a public relations specialist with CP Rail, said that nearly 50 dump trucks and associated equipment are working at the derailment site to remove ammonia-saturated soil. She said that as of noon Wednesday, 5,400 tons of soil had been scooped up and hauled to a Sawyer landfill.
Justin Meyer, a CP Rail environmental engineer, said cleanup crews are working on both sides of the tracks and have gone down from one to three feet at the derailment site to remove soil.
Park said it’s still not known when the clean-up effort will be completed and when the evacuees will be allowed to return home.
There was the smell of ammonia for a time in west Minot Wednesday morning after workers digging at the derailment site hit a spot containing a high concentrations of ammonia. The spot was quickly covered up with the mineral zeolite and soil to knock down the fumes.
Scott Radig, an environmental engineer with the State Health Department, said the reading from the “spike” was too low to be considered a health risk, but the smell was there.
Meyer said crews have used zeolite to soak up ammonia in the ditches on both sides of the railroad tracks in and near the derailment site.
Meyer was asked if the area directly beneath the tracks had been cleaned up. He said the railroad hadn’t done anything yet under the track, but that soil boring would be done to determine if there is any remaining ammonia there.
He added the railroad is prepared to take ice off the Souris River that was contaminated by the spill. Water samples have been taken from the river and the ice and crews will cut out the ice if necessary. Health Department officials said the ice covering on the river prevented ammonia from getting directly into the river.
Radig reported Wednesday that preliminary indications are that water in the water table flows to the northwest of the derailment site rather than toward the river and underground aquifers.
“At this point, water is safe in the area,” Radig said. He stressed, however, that monitoring will continue on a long-term basis.
The engineer said Tuesday that wells in the neighborhood near the derailment site had shown only background amounts of nitrates in them – from natural sources. He said the early samples taken from the wells will be compared to any future samples to determine if contamination has occurred.
The next news conference has been scheduled for noon Friday.