Cleanup of derailed train along Mississippi River should finish Wednesday

Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read
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Cleanup of the train that derailed last week in southwestern Wisconsin is expected to finish Wednesday morning, but a ruling on what caused the incident could still be weeks away.

The train derailed last Thursday along the Mississippi River near the villages of Ferryville and De Soto in Crawford County, sending two train cars into the river. BNSF Railway, the company that owns the railroad, reported that some of the train cars that crashed on land were carrying paint and lithium-ion batteries.

A spokesperson said the cars that landed in the river were not carrying any hazardous materials.

Those cars were recovered from the river Friday using barges, Jim Hackett, director of emergency management for Crawford County, told the Journal Sentinel Monday. Nothing had spilled from them.

More: Train derails in Wisconsin, south of De Soto in Crawford County along Mississippi River

Hackett said all cars, engines and cargo, including hazardous materials, had been removed from the site as of Monday, and that only debris was left to clean up.

A regional hazmat team prevented any leaks of hazardous materials so there is no lasting environmental impact to the area, Hackett said. Staff from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who were on-site also determined there was no environmental or public safety impact, he said.

An EPA spokesperson confirmed agency staff were on-site after the crash occurred and said after meeting with BNSF and Wisconsin DNR spill coordinators, it was determined that the state would oversee the cleanup, working with local officials.

The tracks opened again Saturday for other train traffic, Hackett said. According to a document sent by the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, the tracks were cleared to reopen by the Federal Railroad Administration after inspection.

The derailment is under investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration, which Hackett said could take up to 30 days to complete.

More: As heavy, wet snow melts, upper Mississippi River floods to near record levels

The upper Mississippi River has been inundated with significant flooding over the past week as snowmelt from Wisconsin and Minnesota makes its way down the river.

Hackett provided information sent by BNSF about extra precautions they are taking in the aftermath of the incident, including:

  • Daily inspections while Mississippi River levels are high.

  • A temporary command center to monitor and escalate issues identified during those inspections.

  • Twice-daily inspections at locations that are identified for potential material loss, and the installation of riprap armoring of those locations.

  • Twice-a-month testing of the geometry car — a train car that measures track alignment — in areas where the river levels are elevated, to further monitor track stability.

State Highway 35, which runs along the river, is still closed near where the derailment occurred due to heavy machinery in the area needed to make repairs, Hackett said.

He anticipated the road would reopen Wednesday. People with homes and businesses in the area have been dealing with extended travel times because of the closure.

Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental issues in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cleanup of Wisconsin train derailment on Mississippi River done soon