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Explosions Rock Canadian Town After Oil-laden Train Derails

Maine environmental officials are monitoring the runaway train derailment in eastern Quebec but do not expect the oil spill and fires to affect the state's air or water.

The 73-car derailment Saturday caused multiple explosions in the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, about 10 miles west of Maine. About 30 buildings were destroyed after tanker cars laden with oil caught fire, and several cars continued to burn Sunday. The death toll reached five and was expected to rise.

Maine officials were notified about concerns about the smoke from the fire but staff meteorologists don't believe it will have a significant impact, Peter Blanchard of the state Department of Environmental Protection said Sunday. And while oil spilled in the Chaudiere River, it flows north and thus would not impact Maine waters, he said.

The Montreal Maine & Atlantic train consisted of five locomotives and 77 rail cars and was carrying oil from the US state of North Dakota, the company's vice president of marketing, Joe McGonigle said.

But Quebec authorities spoke of 72 cars transporting 100 tonnes of oil each. "Around 10 cars have been secured and separated from the train," the Quebec emergency agency said in a statement.

The Montreal Maine & Atlantic company has a network of more than 800 kilometers through Quebec and New Brunswick provinces and the neighboring US states of Maine and Vermont. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0707/Train
-derailment-spills-oil-in-Quebec.-Will-it-affect-Maine

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