Illinois EPA Asks Illinois Attorney General for Action Against Railroad In Tiskilwa Derailment
(Tiskilwa, Illinois – October 13, 2011)
In the wake of an October 7 derailment near Tiskilwa, IL, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has urged the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to proceed with an enforcement action and seek immediate injunctive relief against the Iowa Interstate Railroad.
The derailment, which occurred at 2:17 P.M., consisted of 20 cars leaving the tracks, and six tank cars containing ethanol catching fire and exploding. Corn mash, another commodity on board the derailed cars, also caught fire, resulting in both evacuation of the town’s 800 residents as well as pollution potential for groundwater, surface water, air and soil.
The State’s action would seek an Interim Order from the Bureau County Circuit Court to require Iowa Interstate RR to undertake an extensive list of pollution monitoring and contamination remediation actions.
