Canadian National Railway says petroleum coke spilled into a creek after a 27 cars of a freight train derailed northeast of Prince George Thursday.
In an emailed statement Friday, CN said that “a small amount” of the substance, described as a “a non-hazardous by-product of the refining process,” had spilled into a creek in Giscome, adjacent to where the derailment occurred.
The company said environmental experts are overseeing the cleanup. Transportation Safety Board investigators are also looking into the incident. There is no word on what caused the incident at this time.
Giscome Elementary remained closed Friday, after it was evacuated due to the proximity of the derailment. Students and staff instead attended Blackburn Elementary for the day.
