BACKGROUND – INITIAL DERAILMENT CP Train 2/220-20 derailed on January 21, 2008 at MP28.5 on the Nipigon Subdivision near Cavers Cove, west of Rossport, on the north shore of Lake Superior. BACKGROUND – INITIAL DERAILMENT • Fourteen rail cars were derailed, the majority of which remained in the immediate vicinity of the track. • Four boxcars containing wood pulp bales went down the embankment to Lake Superior, two of which were fully submerged. • Approval was obtained from the federal Department of Fisheries & Oceans to leave these two cars in place as there would have been more environmental impact to empty and remove the cars based on the general topography at the derailment site, depth of the cars in the lake, etc. BACKGROUND – INITIAL CLEAN-UP • Plastic (non-coloured polyethylene) pellets “nurdles” were spilled at track level, with a large volume migrating down the embankment into Lake Superior. • Clean-up was initiated on the embankment during the week of the derailment with vacuum trucks, shop vacuums, etc. and efforts extended until late February 2008. SUBSEQUENT CLEAN-UP – 2008 TO 2011 • The spill of pellets into the lake quickly migrated via wind and wave action. Clean-up on the shorelines east & west of the derailment site, including the Mountain Bay Beach residential community and two offshore islands, was initiated in April 2008. • The collection of pellets was conducted with portable vacuums, a slow, labour-intensive process. In excess of 650+ person-days were dedicated to pellet removal between April and October of 2008. • 50+ days of clean-up per year were performed in each of 2009, 2010 & 2011 utilizing similar methods. SUBSEQUENT CLEAN-UP – 2012 & 2013 • A revised recovery method was employed in 2012 (30+ days) and 2013 (20+ days) utilizing fire hoses to “scour” the upper 8-12 inches of sand. A containment boom was anchored parallel to the shoreline to prevent migration beyond the immediate work area, and the pellets were recovered using pool skimmers. • This method proved to be more effective since it removed the pellets that were entrained “at depth” that can be re-mobilized during subsequent storm events. However, pellets present in the lake are still deposited during subsequent storm events. SUBSEQUENT CLEAN-UP – 2014 TO PRESENT • CP was contacted by the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNRF) in Spring 2014 advising that evidence of the rare “beach dune tiger beetle”, which nests in burrows in the beach sand, had been observed locally. • CP retained an independent consultant to work with MNRF to complete an assessment of Mountain Bay Beach, and the presence of the beetles was confirmed. As a result, the “scouring” method was no longer allowed by the MNRF. SUBSEQUENT CLEAN-UP – 2014 TO PRESENT • Based on the decision by MNRF, twoperson wooden sieves were fabricated by the contractor to screen the pellets manually. This labourintensive method was utilized in both 2014 (40+ days) and 2015 (30+ days). PELLET MOVEMENT IN LAKE SUPERIOR • CP was advised in 2015 by the provincial Ministry of Environment & Climate Change (MOECC) that evidence of pellets had been reported on beaches more than 250 kilometers “as the crow flies” from the initial derailment site. • Subsequent inspection confirmed that the observed pellet presence was minimal relative to other plastics (bottles, etc.) and other waste streams, and that extensive clean-up efforts were not warranted. However, this clearly shows that the pellets are pervasive and widespread in the natural environment. GOING FORWARD? • CP will continue to review reports of pellet presence on a ‘case-by-case’ basis and act accordingly, but are looking at alternative clean-up methods. • In addition, CP is reviewing opportunities to partner with MNRF & others with regards to further study of the distribution of pellets, etc. in Lake Superior. End.