Inspectors investigate train derailment

Lisbon — The Federal Railroad Administration has three inspectors - two track specialists and a hazardous materials specialist - at the scene of yesterday's freight train derailment as officials investigate what caused the accident.

Wednesday, a company spokesman for Dow said that less than five gallons of nonhazardous, Dow latex spilled, and the state Department of Envirnomental Protection said that none of the latex had reached the nearby Quinebaug River or had seeped into the soil.

A spokesman for the railroad administration, Rob Kulat, said via e-mail today that the hazardous materials inspector is there to check out an empty hazardous materials car to "ensure there is and will be no leaks."

Kulat said during an earlier phone interview that the agency does not release information on a cause until the investigation is complete.

Wednesday afternoon, a freight train on its way from Dow Chemical Co. in Ledyard to the Plainfield area derailed, sending four container cars tumbling down an embankment and nearly into the Quinebaug River.

The three crew members on the train were unharmed.

Of the cars that overturned, three were carrying a nonhazardous liquid latex used in paper products manufactured by Dow. One car carrying 25,000 gallons of the product began leaking a small amount of cargo after going off the tracks and turning over, according to state and Dow officials.

Members of the state police accident reconstruction team are also assisting. Lieut. J. Paul Vance, state police spokesman, said police do not suspect any criminal aspect to Wednesday's derailment.

The state police are available to help with laser mapping of the scene, according to Vance, or to draw a visual reproduction electronically.

Wednesday's derailment was the second by a Providence & Worcester train in two months.

On March 11, a freight train carrying liquid ethanol derailed in Windham and four tankers came off the tracks. There was neither a spill nor injuries. It is unclear as of this morning whether the investigation into the cause of the March derailment is complete.

Early this morning, a crew from R.J. Corman Railroad Group removed a large portion of the "debris field," such as damaged tracks, railway ties and the trucks -- or wheels -- of the derailed freight cars, according to Lisbon First Selectman Thomas Sparkman.

By late morning, the crew was transferring the product from the damaged cars to vehicles stationed along Route 12. The transfer is expected to resume this afternoon. Sparkman said the entire process of clearing the site and righting the nine freight cars could take until mid-to-late Friday or possibly Saturday.

Ruote 12 is expected to remain closed during that time.

It was also unclear today how Wednesday's derailment might affect other freight deliveries. A spokesman for the Providence & Worcester Railroad said today that she didn't have information on how many other cars were scheduled to travel through the area.