Derailment cleanup begins near Marcellus

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January 20, 2005


Derailment cleanup begins near Marcellus
Canadian National freight train headed to South Bend spilled lubricant.

AREA

By JOHN DOBBERSTEIN
Tribune Staff Writer

Rail traffic resumed and cleanup efforts continued today after a freight train headed for South Bend derailed in southwest Michigan.

The westbound Canadian National train slid off its track around 9 p.m. Tuesday in a rural area near Marcellus, southwest of Kalamazoo.

Twenty-four rail cars in the middle of the train derailed, and 14 of them tipped over.

Ten of those cars were empty, but three tanker cars were carrying nonflammable petroleum lubricant.

One tanker was punctured, and lubricant spilled out of a football-sized hole and onto the ground.

A fourth car that tipped over was carrying steel rods.

No injuries were reported, but various streets and intersections in Cass, St. Joseph and Kalamazoo counties were blocked off as Marcellus firefighters responded to the scene.

Canadian National is still investigating the cause of the accident, said Jim Kvedaras, senior manager for U.S. public and government affairs.

The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were all notified of the incident Tuesday after Canadian National called the National Response Center.

There was no word Wednesday if federal officials would join the probe, but if they do, Kvedaras said Canadian National would cooperate.

Canadian National also contacted the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality about the spill, Kvedaras said, and cleanup efforts were to begin today after the derailed cars are moved.

The cleanup could last several days, Kvedaras said.

He didn't know how much of the lubricant leaked out of the tanker.

"We will excavate until we reach clean soil," he said.

The track affected is part of Canadian National's busy Chicago-to-Canada line. Train service was stopped in both directions while crews repaired the line.

With a delay of only 12 hours, Canadian National chose not to reroute approaching trains.

"I don't how big the impact was on our operations," Kvedaras said.

About 800 feet of track will have to be replaced, he said.

Large cranes were brought in Wednesday to move the derailed cars out of the way. "The trains do some damage (when they derail), but the real damage is done by the heavy equipment," Kvedaras said.

The Marcellus Township Fire Department, Cass County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police assisted at the scene.

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