Semis, trains and hazardous materials: 5 worst hazmat incidents in Illinois

Chris Sims, Journal Star
Updated ·4 min read
Tank trucks have placards identifying characteristics of the materials being transported.
Tank trucks have placards identifying characteristics of the materials being transported.

Semi-trailers and trains are commonplace modes of transportation to ship consumer products across the country.

But what happens when an accident occurs and the vehicles are carrying hazardous materials?

Transporting hazardous materials: Huge amounts of hazardous materials pass through Midwest every day. How safe are residents?

Hazmat teams are called to pick up the pieces.

Here's a look into the definition of hazmat and the worst accidents to occur in Illinois:

What is hazmat and what is the meaning?

According to the U.S. General Services Administration, hazmat or the term dangerous goods commonly refers to hazardous material by the U.S. Government and by industry. The website defines hazmat as "any item or chemical which is a 'health hazard' or 'physical hazard.'"

What are hazardous materials?

Here is a list of what may be considerd hazardous materials, but is solely limited to these items, according to the U.S. General Services Administration wesbite:

  • Chemicals that are carcinogens, toxic or highly toxic agents, reproductive toxins, irritants, corrosives, hepatotoxins, nephrotoxins, neurotoxins, agents that act on the hematopoietic system, and agents that damage the lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.

  • Chemicals that are combustible liquids, compressed gases, explosives, flammable liquids, flammable solids, organic peroxides, oxidizers, pyrophorics, unstable (reactive) or water-reactive; and

  • Chemicals that, in the course of normal handling, use or storage, may produce or release dusts, gases, fumes, vapors, mists or smoke having any of the above characteristics.

Transportation of dangerous goods: 6 things to know about the transportation of hazardous materials in the Midwest

5 worst Illinois hazmat incidents

Walpole, Ill.

  • Damages: $7,933,399.

  • Damages adjusted for inflation: $9,976,632.73.

  • Incident: Illinois' worst hazmat incident took place around 10:50 a.m. Sept. 10, 2015, in Walpole, Ill. A driver for carrier R N R Carriage LLC lost control of his rig heading into a left curve. The semi-trailer rolled over on the right side, ending up in a large ditch with both units resting on their tops. With the driver trapped inside, hazmat crews worked for over two hours to release the trapped driver while nearly 6,000 gallons of gasoline seeped from a 12-inch tear in the trailer and several small holes on the right side. Cleanup crews used sand to block the fuel drainage and water onto an adjacent farm.

Galena, Ill.

  • Damages: $5,517,400.

  • Damages adjusted for inflation: $6,938,397.20.

  • Incident: BNSF Railway Company was transporting petroleum crude oil to Philadelphia on March 5, 2015. A 21-car derailment in Galena, Ill., resulted in flames engulfing a portion of the derailed cars. One of the cars sustained a heat induced or thermal tear at mid-shell, according to the report. The bottom outlet valve was sheared off and eventually sealed off. The fires were ongoing from March 5-8 in 2015. A portion of the product was consumed by fire, while what was salvageable was moved to portable frac tanks. Air and ground monitoring and water sampling took place, as wll as the excavation of impacted top soils. Hazardous material was purged from the leaking car, which was cleaned and deemed destroyed.

Albers, Ill.

  • Damages: $3,150,000.

  • Damages adjusted for inflation: $3,302,584.77.

  • Incident: A Norfolk Southern train carrying methyl methacrylate monomer − which is identified as a highly flammable, combustible liquid — was headed from Texas to Louisville when it dumped 26 out of 131 cars during a derailment in Albers, Ill., on Sept. 19, 2022. About 20,001 gallons of the liquid were released when a car's tank head was gouged during the derailment, according to the report.

Hazmat transportation accidents: Accidents during transportation of hazardous materials are on the rise in Midwest

Plainfield, Ill.

  • Damages: $1,550,000.

  • Damages adjusted for inflation: $1,899,271.46.

  • Incident: A CN/Wisconsin Central LTD train carrying petroleum crude oil from Connecticut to Louisana lost 21 out of 115 cars during a derailment in Plainfield, Ill., on June 30, 2017. Five of the 21 cars were damaged releasing a total of 28,245 gallons of oil into the environment, according to the report.

Joliet, Ill.

  • Damages: $1,480,600.

  • Damages adjusted for inflation: $1,738,559.39.

  • Incident: A BNSF Railway Company train carrying styrene monomer from Texas to Delaware derailed in the railyard Feb. 8, 2019, at Joliet, Ill. Styrene monomer is an industrial chemical derived from petroleum or natural gas by-products, according to Shell Global. A car was punctured on the left side during the derailment, resulting in a product loss of 14,000 gallons.

Chris Sims is a digital producer for the Journal Star. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Hazmat suits and cleanup crews: 5 worst hazmat accidents in Illinois