Train Derails in Lake County

Thursday, October 11, 2007
Topics: Environment, Other
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Cleanup continues in Painesville after an explosion and fire rocked the Lake County city just after noon yesterday, blocking roads and forcing evacuations following a train derailment. ideastream's Rick Jackson has details.

The train was a CSX freight, pulling 112 cars from Cleveland to Buffalo—30 of which left the track.

Toxic and potentially explosive chemicals carried in eight of the cars caused officials to clear an area one-half mile in all directions from the site of the accident—that’s near the intersection of Heisley Road and Jackson Street.

Six carried ethanol, none of the eight carried toxic inhalants.

The site is near Painesville’s Lubrizol plant, and speculation was that a gas line may have been struck by the derailed train, sparking the fire.

Some homes in Concord Township and Painesville were without power for a brief time, while businesses and homes in the Heisley Park area, employees at Lubrizol, and an elementary school were among sites evacuated.

CSX spokesman Garrick Francis stressed that the railroad was working in tandem with local authorities to investigate the accident.

Garrick Francis: We’ll identify where the derailment occurred, look at train cars themselves, look at how the train was being operated, then determine what the cause is.

Environmental Protection officials were on the scene well into the evening, as the investigation into what went wrong gets underway.

Rick Jackson, 90.3.