Soo Line Railroad Company pays $33,727 for St. Paul diesel fuel spill that flowed into nearby Battle Creek

According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, in July 2021, several hundred gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a punctured locomotive fuel tank at the Saint Paul switchyard operated by Soo Line Railroad Co., dba Canadian Pacific. The fuel flowed into a stormwater culvert and entered nearby Battle Creek, which is on the MPCA’s impaired waters list for threats to aquatic life.

Canadian Pacific failed to take reasonable steps at its facility to prevent the diesel fuel spill from entering the stormwater system and affecting the environment. Other violations include:

• Failing to have a complete spill prevention and response plan.
• Failing to document stormwater best management practice corrective actions. This should have included a schedule for preventative maintenance within their required stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
• Failing to provide and document sufficient industrial stormwater employee training.
• Failing to submit a complete and accurate industrial stormwater permit application.

In addition to paying the $33,727 civil penalty, Canadian Pacific must:

• Verify and document the full extent of its storm sewer system.
• Implement short- and long-term structural and non-structural best management practices, designed to prevent spills from causing environmental impacts.
• Submit a complete and accurate SWPPP.
• Submit a training plan for employees involved in the implementation of the SWPPP.

MPCA rules and regulations are designed to protect human health and the environment by limiting pollution emissions and discharges from facilities. When companies do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment.

When calculating penalties, the MPCA takes into account how seriously the violations affected or could have affected the environment, and whether they were first-time or repeat violations. The agency also attempts to recover the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.