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| Clovis derailment | |
|---|---|
| Title | Clovis derailment |
| Date | 2018-08-12 |
| Location | near Clovis, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 34.4045°N 103.2052°W |
| Country | United States |
| Operator | BNSF Railway |
| Line | BNSF Transcon |
| Type | Derailment |
| Cause | Track failure (investigation concluded) |
| Cargo | Crude oil, petroleum products |
Clovis derailment The Clovis derailment was a freight train accident that occurred near Clovis, New Mexico on August 12, 2018, involving multiple tank cars carrying crude oil and other petroleum products. The derailment prompted emergency response from Curry County, New Mexico agencies and federal entities, sparked environmental concerns involving the nearby High Plains Aquifer and Blackwater Draw National Park region, and led to regulatory scrutiny involving Federal Railroad Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration oversight. The incident influenced litigation, policy debates in the New Mexico Legislature, and operational changes by major rail carriers including BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.
On August 12, 2018, a freight consist operated by BNSF Railway derailed on the BNSF Transcon mainline near Clovis, New Mexico, causing multiple tank cars loaded with crude oil to breach and spill along the right-of-way adjacent to rural property owned by Curry County, private ranchers, and land managed under United States Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction. First responders from Clovis Fire Department, Curry County Sheriff's Office, and New Mexico State Police established an exclusion zone while crews from BNSF Railway and contractors assessed structural stability and hazmat risks identified by Environmental Protection Agency regional staff. The derailment disrupted rail traffic on the Southern Plains rail corridor and prompted notifications to the National Transportation Safety Board and United States Department of Transportation.
The route where the derailment occurred is part of a transcontinental corridor used by carriers such as BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad to move petroleum commodities originating in Permian Basin and Bakken Formation production areas to refineries and export terminals at ports including Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and Port of Corpus Christi. Rail shipments of crude oil increased markedly following shifts in pipeline capacity involving projects like Keystone XL debates and actions by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The rolling stock included DOT-spec tank cars influenced by standards set after earlier accidents involving Lac-Mégantic disaster and regulatory responses tied to recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and rulemakings by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Regional stakeholders such as the New Mexico Environment Department and Curry County had previously raised concerns about rail transport of hazardous materials in rural and ecologically sensitive landscapes exemplified by High Plains Aquifer and areas managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
The National Transportation Safety Board led a formal investigation alongside the Federal Railroad Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, with forensic analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives explosives unit and participation from New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and the New Mexico Environment Department. Investigators examined rail geometry, track maintenance records held by BNSF Railway, and data from the train crew consistent with Positive Train Control implementations recommended by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Metallurgical tests at laboratories affiliated with Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory informed conclusions about rail fatigue and joint integrity. The probe referenced precedents including investigations into derailments in Hyler, Kansas and Casselton, North Dakota to contextualize tank car performance under impact. The NTSB concluded track failure and joint bar issues contributed to the derailment, and issued safety recommendations to BNSF Railway, the Association of American Railroads, and the Federal Railroad Administration.
Spilled crude and petroleum products threatened soils, ephemeral drainage features, and groundwater recharge areas connected to the High Plains Aquifer, prompting sampling by the Environmental Protection Agency and monitoring by the United States Geological Survey. Agricultural stakeholders including local producers represented by New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau and water users affiliated with the Conservation Districts of New Mexico reported concerns about livestock watering and crop irrigation near impacted land. The local economy in Curry County, New Mexico experienced short-term disruptions affecting rail-dependent industries and traffic at Clovis Municipal Airport due to emergency response activity. Nationally, the event contributed to insurance and liability analyses performed by carriers such as AIG and Travelers Insurance Company and to commodity market observers at firms like Platts and Argus Media tracking transport bottlenecks affecting crude flows from the Permian Basin.
Cleanup coordination involved BNSF Railway contractors, Environmental Protection Agency on-scene coordinators, the New Mexico Environment Department, and private remediation firms certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory programs. Remediation actions included removal of derailed equipment to certified salvage yards, contaminated soil excavation and disposal pursuant to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-related protocols administered by regional Environmental Protection Agency offices, and long-term groundwater monitoring implemented with technical support from the United States Geological Survey. Community meetings were held with stakeholders including representatives from Curry County Commission, New Mexico Department of Health, and Department of Homeland Security officials to discuss air quality sampling and public safety. BNSF funded immediate response costs and contracted with environmental engineers from firms experienced with Amtrak-era hazmat responses and with previous crude-by-rail incidents such as those analyzed after the Lac-Mégantic disaster.
The derailment prompted civil litigation brought by landowners and local authorities against BNSF Railway alleging property damage and nuisance claims, with cases invoking precedents from Conrail litigation and negligent maintenance suits tried in federal district courts including the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Regulatory follow-up included enforcement inquiries by the Federal Railroad Administration and a re-evaluation of inspection frequencies under rules influenced by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. The incident fed into broader policy debates in the New Mexico Legislature about state emergency planning and model ordinances concerning hazardous material transit corridors, and informed rulemaking discussions at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration concerning tank car standards and track safety. Settlements and compliance agreements required enhanced track inspection regimes, investment commitments by BNSF Railway in selected corridors, and public reporting obligations to agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Railroad Administration.
Category:Railway accidents and incidents in the United States Category:2018 in New Mexico Category:Railway accidents involving hazardous materials