1.1.1 Incident Category

Emergency response to freight train derailment and release of ethanol.

1.1.2 Site Description

 In the evening of 3/1/2016 13 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed.  Two of four ethanol cars began leaking.  A propane tank car also derailed but was not compromised. 

1.1.2.1 Location

The incident occurred in Ripley, NY, a small community in Chautauqua County in western NY near Lake Erie.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Ethanol is a flammable liquid that is miscible in water.  Unless deluged with water, an ethanol-fueled fire can spread quickly when water is used for firefighting.  The threat is from a fire spreading from the ethanol cars and involving the adjacent propane cars, possibly resulting in a BLEVE.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

A Region 2 OSC has been on the scene since early 3/2/2016.  He reports that the leaking tank car is losing about 1 gallon of product a minute but the car is being off-loaded into frac tanks.  The second ethanol  tank car and the propane car will also be off-loaded.

Air monitoring by local Haz-Mat first responders showed no levels of contamination above background.

2.1.1 Narrative

In the aftermath of the derailment, residents within 1,000 feet of the site of the release have been evacuated and relocated to hotels and/or temporary shelters.  There have been no fatalities or injuries as a result of this incident.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

UPDATED INFORMATION IS IN BOLD FONT

Norfolk Southern (NS) is transferring ethanol from the tank cars to frac tanks as temporary storage.  NS is preparing to transfer the propane from the tank cars to trucks.  Air monitoring by County Haz-mat responders shows no levels of contamination above background.

Some ethanol leaked into an adjacent culvert and is believed to be contained therein.  Very low temperatures are keeping VOC vapors very low, reducing the risk of any vapor ignition.

 R2 EPA is sending a team of technical contractors to the scene to assist state and local agencies with air monitoring, and also air sampling if needed.

Coast Guard Sector Buffalo dispatched a team to the scene to assist in air monitoring and to check the adjacent Lake Erie shoreline for signs of ethanol in or near the water.  After conferring with the EPA OSC the Coast Guard team departed the scene but is available to assist in the response if requested.

The two ethanol cars have been emptied and the cars are staged nearby awaiting transport to a metals recycler.  The propane tank car has been off-loaded into highway trucks and the residual gas has been flared (see cover photos).  The evacuation order has been lifted and residents are resuming their daily activities.  The tracks have been repaired and train traffic through the area has resumed.  The EPA technical contractor team has been released and the EPA OSC has departed the scene. The Incident Commander has declared this response to be successfully concluded. 

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

The RP in this instance is the Norfolk Southern Railroad.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

 See below.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

None.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

NS will assess the soil that was impacted by the ethanol release and remove contaminated soil as needed.

2.2.2 Issues

None.

3.1 Unified Command

3.2 Cooperating Agencies

NYSDEC

Chautauqua County 

USEPA