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About 40,000 gallons of crude oil leak after derailment

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com

As many as 25 railroad tanker cars derailed early Friday evening in Plainfield, resulting in a leak of about 40,000 gallons of crude oil, according to Plainfield police.

The derailment disrupted traffic, as the rest of the train continues to block several crossings, Plainfield Police Sgt. Mike Fisher said.

No one was hurt, he said, and firefighters managed to keep the oil from flowing in to the DuPage River, he said.

“It is quite a distance away from the river, but it is still too close for comfort,” Fisher said.

The derailment happened at 6:54 p.m. at 143rd Street near Riverwalk Court, Fisher said, not far from the police department. The train was heading northwest. The area is occupied mostly by businesses, Fisher said.

He did not know how many cars or tanks the train had.

Roads closed late Friday evening included Plainfield/Naperville Road, Main Street (Route 126), Center Street and Lockport Road, Fisher said.

Area fire departments, including Naperville's, have responded with equipment and supplies to deal with the oil.

Fisher said residents may notice the smell of oil.

It was a Canadian National railroad train, according to CN spokesman Patrick Waldron. He said the company is sending hazardous-material and environmental-response teams.

Fisher said authorities haven't figured out why the train derailed.

Initially, there was some concern about injuries, because a crew working on a natural-gas line project in the area was split by the derailment. But all the workers have been accounted for, Fisher said.

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