Cleanup begins after fiery Minnesota ethanol derailment

By JOSH FUNK
Associated Press

Workers have started removing contaminated soil and damaged railcars left behind after Thursday’s fiery train derailment in southwest Minnesota. Authorities said Friday that the ethanol fire that burned for hours had been extinguished and that firefighters had returned home. BNSF railroad crews started to remove contaminated soil from under and around the tracks early Friday morning. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were starting their work to determine what caused the wreck. The entire town of Raymond, about 100 miles west of Minneapolis, had to evacuate after the derailment, but residents were allowed to return home by midday Thursday. This latest derailment only adds to the concerns nationally about railroad safety.