Dominika Lirette
CBCTue, 24 May 2022 22:01 UTC
© Rhonda SauerbergAbout 43 CP Rail cars carrying potash were derailed northeast of Fort Macleod on Sunday, said RCMP.
About 43 westbound Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail cars carrying potash derailed northeast of Fort Macleod, Alta., Sunday morning, RCMP say.
At 8:15 a.m., Mounties responded to a train derailment between Range Roads 251 and 252, near Highway 3. Fire crews and CP Rail also came to the scene, according to police.
There are no injuries or concerns to public safety, RCMP say.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation, a spokesperson for CP Rail told CBC News.
CP crews have started recovery work, a spokesperson for CP Rail told CBC News in an email.
RCMP said traffic in the area is being re-routed. Westbound Highway 3 traffic is being diverted onto the shoulder of the road for the next several hours as crews work at the scene.
Police are asking the public to try and avoid the area.
Comment: LibertyWire provides more details:
From the Government of Canada:
Potash is the common name given to a group of minerals and chemicals that contain potassium (chemical symbol K), which is a basic nutrient for plants and an important ingredient in fertilizer. Most potash is produced as potassium chloride (KCl). However, we often measure and refer to it in terms of potassium oxide (K2O) equivalence for consistency because deposits can have different percentages of potassium.
Potash is primarily used to produce fertilizer.
After this incident, expect fertilizer costs to continue soaring through the roof.
This incident hasn't received much publicity, even though it is rather curious, and has occurred amidst what numerous world leaders have called a
looming 'global famine'. Recall also that, just a few weeks ago numerous food processing plants in the US were going up in flames:
Multiple large food processing & distribution plants in US have recently exploded or burned down
After they get the screwed up and twisted canadian railcars removed from the scene, there might be some potash that can be recovered.
Glad I didn't invest in Canadian Pacific, but something tells me, and yes I am biased, that the rail companies might be important in the future I imagine.