Harvard, Illinois Union Pacific Train Derailment RRT Meeting Thursday, May 1 2008 Jim Mitchell, OSC

Harvard, IllinoisUnion Pacific

Train Derailment

RRT Meeting Thursday, May 1 2008

Jim Mitchell, OSC

History Monday January 7, at

4:00 PM UP Train traveling 37 mph derailed 1.5 miles north of Harvard, IL

Train hit by tornado Twelve cars involved

in derailment

7 empty box cars, 3 auto parts, and 2 tank cars

Tank cars Diethylene

Glycol Ethylene Oxide

Received NRC Report at 7:30 PM

Harvard Train DerailmentJanuary 2008

Response Local Fire and

Hazmat Wauconda, Marengo,

Boon Countryside and Harvard

McHenry County Sheriffs Department

UP CTEH

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

EPA/IEPA Equis Star Shell Chemical Conestoga-Rovers Red Cross

Issues

Diethylene Glycol Tank overturned on bridge leaking

contents into Lawrence Creek Ethlyene Oxide Tank

Damaged on railroad embankment Evacuation in place

Actions

Air monitoring Removed cars Upright DG tank

car Repair tracks and

bridge Assessed EO tank EO tank removal

plan

Sampled Lawrence Creek

Build up embankment

Transport of EO tank car

Diethylene Glycol Tank

DG 100% soluble in water Waked creek looked for fish kill Collected surface and subsurface

soil samples Collected surface water samples Sample field screening i.e., PH,

temperature, conductivity and DO

Ethylene Oxide Tank Continuous monitoring of air, tank

pressure and temperature Rock needed to build up

embankment Tank lifted and placed on trucks Transported 20 miles to Janesville

Wisconsin Speed no greater than 4 miles hour Laboratory analysis for DG

Issues

Degusa refused to take and off load EO

Shell Chemical worked out deal with company in Milton, WI

Pressure drops of EO tank

Slow actions by UP to put tarp over tank

Transportation permits

Two weeks to offload EO tank