On June 20,2009 Approximately 17 denatured ethanol tank cars were involved in a derailment and many were involved in the subsequent fire. At this time, it is estimated that 60k gallons of ethanol was released to an unknown creek, Rock,and Kishwaukee river. The local Rockford Fire, Hazmat team and Winnebego County Emergency Government set up an incident command post and made a tactical decision to allow the fire to burn and the alcohol to be consumed in the fire. The area received 3 inches of rain which caused a wash out of the rail tracks. One fatality was reported and six people went to the hospital with burns. The evacuation has been lifted to a voluntary evacuation and 100% of the residents have returned home. CN rail has hired CTEH to conduct air monitoring, Hulcher to re-rail the train cars and SCS to transfer the remaining liquid. CN rail has also hired ES Enviro Science to perform river assessments on both the Rock and Kishwaukee river. An un-named stream is located on the south side of the crossing and flows to the east. The stream crosses under the tracks approximately 1,800 feet east of the derailment and then flows on the north side of the tracks in a southeasterly direction for approximately 1.5 miles until it reaches the Rock and Kishwaukee River.
There has been a substantial fish kill in the Rock River where hundreds have been reported. CN rail will depoly assests to collect water samples on both rivers with a 24 hour turnaround.
Representatives from IEPA, US Fish and Wildlife, US EPA, CN, CTEH, the conservation police, and local representatives of the Public Health Department were in attendance to discuss the community outreach and sampling events planned and/or conducted for the site.
Events already conducted:
-24-Hour air monitoring conducted since the incident by CTEH. No samples had levels detected above action levels. The highest reading for VOC’s was 18.5 ppm. There were also no issues with the particulate matter.
-A survey of water intakes along the river was conducted by CTEH. No surface water intakes were observed along the river.
-23 samples from the two rivers were taken and analyzed for BTEX, GRO and TPH, sample results are due in by 6/25/09. One sample was collected 60 miles downstream at the bottom of the river and analyzed for the full suite of analytes.
-The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was measured in the rivers at ~7-8, while in the ditch it was ~4.5.
-The river is currently closed in three counties by the DNR.
-US Fish and Wildlife has fish that were collected earlier and will be sampled. The conservation police also have some fish that were collected and frozen, which they will allow to be sampled.
-Silt fencing is present on the site, and the runoff water is sequestered. Also an air-sparge system is in place at the site
EPA-
-Agrees that the private wells will be sampled and an outreach program including a fact sheet and representatives from the US EPA,IEPA as well as CN will canvas the neighborhoods within 1 mile radius of the site.
Plans:
-Soil sampling will be conducted around the site
-Private wells will be sampled
-Affected vegetation around the creek/ditch will be restored
-Daily conference calls will be implemented between all agencies and sampling teams to assess status.
CN will prepare a removal action plan for the impacted soil on the unnamed creek.
U.S.EPA will provide ongoing site oversight for sampling events on both rivers Rock & Kishwaukee and the unnamed creek.
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