Train schedule

PRINCETON — The aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2011, Tiskilwa train derailment continues with court hearings and site monitoring.

On Friday, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson Maggie Carson confirmed the IEPA’s investigation into the Tiskilwa derailment continues to be an ongoing process. The Iowa Interstate Railroad is working under an interim consent order and continues to submit technical reports to the IEPA, which are being reviewed, Carson said.

Bureau County State’s Attorney Patrick Herrmann and a representative of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office appeared in Bureau County Court last week for a status hearing on the lawsuit filed in November by Herrmann and Madigan, after the train derailment matter was referred to Madigan’s office by the IEPA.

Last week’s status hearing before Circuit Judge Marc Bernabei was continued until 11 a.m. May 4 in Bureau County Court.

The Oct. 7, 2011, train derailment happened at about 2:19 a.m. just east of Tiskilwa along the Bottom Road. The potential dangers from the derailment resulted in a recommended evacuation of the eastern portion of Tiskilwa, with an advisory evacuation of the remainder of the town. Numerous emergency personnel, including an estimated 50 fire departments and multiple ambulance units, responded to the scene.

As reported earlier, the Iowa Interstate Railroad train consisted of 131 rail cars pulled by two locomotives. According to the November lawsuit, approximately 10 of the 26 derailed tank cars each contained 30,000 gallons of denatured ethanol. Nine of the overturned cars caught fire, which consumed much of the ethanol, but authorities believed an unknown quantity of ethanol seeped into the porous soil.

When announcing the lawsuit, Madigan and Herrmann stated the lawsuit sought to protect the area and nearby residents from the damage caused by the fire and the release of thousands of gallons of ethanol. The complaint asked the court to require a complete cleanup and also asked the court to order Iowa Interstate Railroad to pay all costs associated with the cleanup.

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