Two weeks after crude oil train cars derailed and caught fire in northwest Illinois, the site has been stabilized, and now the long-term cleanup and restoration work can begin.
Paul Ruesch has been the on-scene coordinator from the US EPA since the derailment near Galena on March 5th. He says the track has been restored and damaged cars removed. Now an area somewhat smaller than a football field is surrounded by a wall, 6 to 8 feet high.
The site is next to the Galena River, near where it empties into the Mississippi.
Ruesch says the contaminated soil will be removed soon, and then restoration can begin. He predicts a year from now you won't even be able to tell it happened.
Initially 400 people from a variety of local, state, and federal agencies responded.
Early next week, oversight will officially transfer from the US to the Illinois EPA, and its field office in Rockford will be responsible for the remediation, recovery, and restoration.
