By Greg Eckstrom
A dislodged cap allowed thousands of gallons of ethanol gas to leak from a Union Pacific tanker car as it passed through parts of western Iowa early this morning.
The leak might have begun in Greene County, authorities said. But the worst of the spill is in Boone County, where several fire departments, as well as Haz Mat crews from Des Moines, are cleaning up.
Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan said the problem began when the UP tanker began leaking ethanol from a single spout beneath the car. The spout normally is covered with a cap.
Authorities said about 30,000 gallons of ethanol leaked from the tanker.
The leak was reported just before 4:45 a.m. Sand has been spread at each crossing along the train’s route, from Ogden to the east side of Boone, as a precaution against fire.
Fire is not a real concern until the temperature reaches 45 degrees, Morlan said, “so as long as we’re under 45 degrees, we don’t have to worry too much about an accidental fire.
“By the time we get this all cleaned up and it warms up a little bit, it’s probably going to be evaporated enough that we won’t have to worry about it then.”
