Community consultations scheduled after Fort Rouge derailment

A series of public consultations are set to take place to address rail relocation and derailments following an incident with CN Rail last month.

Lloyd Axworthy, who’s leading the two-year study on rail relocation in Winnipeg, told the Free Press his team plans to hold the community consultations to gather feedback on the response to the Dec. 28 derailment in Fort Rouge.

“We prepared a report for the premier’s office and others about what are the actual sort of rules that can be applied and requirements (of CN) to notify,” Axworthy said. “Let’s find out exactly what is going on and also consult directly with the community.”

The derailment happened on a CN Rail main line section that is wedged between newer condos and the Jubilee rapid transit station to the east, and businesses near Pembina Highway and Taylor Avenue to the west.

Area councillor Sherri Rollins penned several open letters calling for more transparency on the cleanup after constituents living near the site reported foul odours coming from the site and concerns for their health.

Elementary schools in the area evacuated last Thursday morning “out of an abundance of caution,” Winnipeg School Division spokesperson Jillian Recksiedler said at the time.

Rollins said she wants to see more oversight from the province and the Transportation Safety Board on the cleanup. She was told by a CN spokesperson that crews were melting down bitumen at the site and Rollins questions why there was little communication from the rail line about it.

“It’s one thing to have a derailment. It’s another thing when that remediation entails a refinery that isn’t permitted. We would never let an industry there like that in the middle of Lord Roberts,” she said.

CN spokesperson Scott Brown clarified that the clean-up process involved transferred undiluted bitumen, a semi-solid heavy crude oil, out of the derailed cars so it could be moved from the scene.

The process uses steam coils on the outside of the tank to warm the product so it can be pumped to operational cars. The process was completed Tuesday afternoon and the cleaned, empty rail cars will be moved from the rail yard in the coming weeks.

Bitumen has a strong odor when it is warmed, but it is not classified as a dangerous good, Brown said.

Environmental protection measures including air-quality monitoring were in place during the cleanup and the provincial Environment Department was advised of the work, Brown said.

Axworthy’s group penned a rail relocation feasibility study that will consider both the recent derailment and the need for more public notifications following such incidents. He met with provincial officials this week to discuss the results and the upcoming public feedback.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca