Markdown liz and warren, I took those photos Friday afternoon, February 7, in Weaver MN. The railroad has acknowledged that there was a spill; I've seen figures of 2000-12000 gallons in the local papers and Minneapolis Tribune. I was introduced to this fascinating website yesterday, and still haven't had a chance to explore the possibilities. I did not take any samples-I would have had I known of this testing equipment. The US Fish & Wildlife Service spent a long time out there studying it, on a day when the high temperature was +1 Fahrenheit. They found the "very bad" spill in the trout stream. I couldn't find the trout stream amongst the snow drifts The GPS said I was walking in the Mississippi as I walked along the tracks. ; ) Also, as the spill was Tuesday night, Feb.4, I was doubtful of the value of sampling, because all samples were mixed with snow, and had been sitting in the open for more than 48 hours, so dissolved volatiles like methane would have evaporated and gone with the wind, I thought.. The train kept running as the oil leaked, covering a large surface area of track. I went photographing where it had pulled over to a siding for at least 45 minutes and left the most oil.

So, I ask your advice-is going back for samples worthwhile? The steady diet of subzero weather may have preserved more of the spill's mixture than ordinary. Access is a challenge in the winter, with the deep drifts, still, doable. (The long side tracks, where the train parked, are down a steep embankment from the road here-other places, it goes through towns.) Dealing with railroad security can be a problem. Please, share your opinions or strategies, especially if you've been in a similar situation. Any oil sample will have snow and/or dirt mixed into it.