Hartford train derailment: 3 injured as crews work to contain diesel fuel spill
HARTFORD, Wis. (CBS 58) — Crews will remain busy for days working at the site of a massive train derailment that happened in Hartford Monday, June 30.
Hartford Fire and Rescue Chief Tony Burgard said the agency began receiving calls around 9:30 a.m. about a derailment on the tracks near Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue.
According to the railroad commissioner, three engines and 16 cars overturned on a Wisconsin and Southern Railroad train.
"It was a loud bang, louder than a normal hookup. I was like, holy cow," said onlooker Paul Phillips, who works at a plant near the railroad tracks. "Everybody's just kind of in awe. They can't believe that it actually happened, and it's just a sight."
Onlookers came to the site throughout the day, including Carolyn Maxwell, who said she lives nearby and was startled by the volume of first responders driving by Monday morning.
"There were a lot of sirens," Maxwell said. "And there were ambulances and there were fire trucks and things like that were going on and on and on, and I thought something has to be wrong."
Burgard said three conductors walked from the crash to the roadway and were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Seven area fire departments and several emergency and environmental management crews responded to the scene.
"There's approximately several thousands of gallons of diesel fuel that have spilled into the ground. There's also a nitrous oxide tank that had crashed and the outside cracked off of, but the tank has not leaked," Burgard said.
A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed they were also at the derailment scene Monday.
The DNR said the spill affected the railroad track and surrounding ditch line, but the agency added it believe the spill was contained "to the immediate area" based on early information.
Crews worked for hours to pump diesel out of the ground. Massachusetts-based Clean Harbors is the company now responding for environmental remediation. The company did not respond to messages seeking information Monday.
"We tried to make the leak as small as possible. There is a waterway, a tributary, that does lead into the Rubicon River. It looks like we are successful, keeping all of the diesel fuel out of that tributary," Burgard said.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation by Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. Hartford Police Chief Scott MacFarlan said it could take days to move the engines and cars off the tracks.
The rail line affected continues on to Horicon and Mayville, among other stops. A prolonged closure of the railroad would have an economic impact that extends beyond the derailment area.