Officials assess ethanol removal options at derailment site

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials say they're trying to decide the best way to remove ethanol that leaked into the Mississippi River and pooled around the area where several train cars derailed.

The Telegraph Herald reports (http://bit.ly/16rCov6 ) about a half-acre of fuel froze at the site as of Friday, with more covering about an acre of ice on the Mississippi. Fourteen of the cars that derailed Wednesday morning contained ethanol, and eight appeared to be leaking.

DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins says one ethanol removal option is to use a steam hose to collect and pump it into a storage tank. He says this won't be possible if the ice can't support the necessary equipment.

Baskins says the ice also limits efforts to evaluate the effect on aquatic life.

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Information from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com