Update on Incident in Galena, Ill.
BNSF MEDIA STATEMENT as of March 7, 2015 at 11:00 am CST – Galena, IL derailment
Work to remove the derailed cars at the site of the BNSF Railway derailment, which occurred in a rural area south of Galena, Ill., is nearing completion. Due to its remote location and soft ground in the area, a temporary road is being built to allow heavy equipment to re-rail cars and remove crude oil from the scene. Additionally, the three small remaining fires will be extinguished by a foam truck once the temporary road is complete. Of the 21 cars that were derailed, six cars have been re-railed. Two more cars are expected to be re-railed later today. The remaining cars will be removed from the scene via truck.
Once the scene is cleared, BNSF currently anticipates that its mainline track can be operational on Monday, March 9, 2015. As the clean-up process proceeds, BNSF continues to find no evidence of oil in the nearby waterways due to the derailment. Air quality monitoring is also continuing.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation. BNSF Railway employees continue to assist local and federal officials.
Protection of the communities we serve, the safety of our employees and protection of the environment are our highest priorities. These priorities have guided us throughout our response to this event.
We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the first responders at this incident and the coordination and cooperation offered by local officials to keep the community safe. BNSF Railway sincerely regrets the inconvenience this event has caused to the community.
BNSF has established a claims center at the site of the incident to help and assist local residents who may have incurred damage to their property or are in need of temporary relocation.
With the scene mostly contained, BNSF does not anticipate the need to offer any additional updates.