Dec. 31--MOUNT VERNON, ILL. -- A train derailment that spilled a few thousand gallons of ethanol early Sunday morning was being cleaned up and was under control, officials say.
The derailment of eight cars happened near Rackaway Street and Liberty Road in a mixed industrial-residential area where the Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and Evansville Western railroads come together.
There were no injuries. The cause had not been determined late Sunday.
Kevin Sargent, assistant fire chief with the Mount Vernon Fire Department, said Sunday night that Norfolk Southern, working with three subcontractors, was repairing the tracks and ensuring the spill was cleaned up.
"They're working overnight to try to get the track repaired and trains back moving through the area," he said. "They'll be working there for several days."
Firefighters responded to a 911 call about 6:30 a.m. Sunday and found the eight cars with one tanker car leaking.
The fire department's hazardous materials team responded. Sargent estimated that about 3,400 to 5,000 gallons of ethanol spilled from the 30,000-gallon tank car before crews stopped the leak. Because the low temperatures suppressed the ethanol vapors, no residential evacuations were required, Sargent said.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency were notified. The Illinois EPA is working closely with an environmental clean-up company, Sargent said.
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