The Colorado Public Utilities Commission’s Office of Rail Safety provided an update regarding a train derailment involving Union Pacific outside Grand Junction. The incident took place at 10:53 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, near Whitewater, Colorado, when a Union Pacific locomotive left the tracks and entered the Gunnison River. Two crew members were hospitalized following the accident but have since been released.
According to officials, the likely cause of the derailment was rockfall along the rail corridor. Response teams from multiple state and local agencies arrived at the scene shortly after the incident. The Union Pacific Railroad Hazmat Manager and environmental contractors are currently managing mitigation and clean-up efforts.
The Grand Junction Fire Department deployed booms in an attempt to contain approximately 4,460 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled into the river as a result of the derailment. Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists have been present since early Wednesday morning to sample water and monitor impacts on fish and wildlife populations.
To facilitate removal of derailed cars and hazardous materials clean-up, the Colorado Department of Transportation issued emergency permits for heavy equipment access. This operation may lead to temporary closures on some secondary roads in the area; however, no impact is expected for Interstate 70.
Union Pacific reported the incident to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s watch center as required by House Bill 24-1030. Additionally, technical assistance was provided by DHSEM’s West Area Field Manager to Mesa County’s emergency manager. The legislation also established the Office of Rail Safety within the PUC with a mandate “to promote transparency, accountability, and safety in all rail operations in the state.”
