NEW BRIGHTON – The state’s emergency responders, along with officials from federal and local agencies, remain active in working to extinguish the last tanker fire from a 24-car Norfolk Southern train derailment that occurred late Friday night.
There have been no reports of injuries. As of 8:30 p.m. Sunday, five homes near the site in New Brighton, located about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, remain evacuated.
Emergency response and cleanup crews have made considerable progress, clearing away all but four of the dozens of tankers that scattered along the railroad line, with some ending up in the Beaver River and along its embankments. All of the derailed cars on the 80-car freight train were tankers containing ethanol.
Of the four remaining tankers, two are in the water. The other two cars are on the track line, with one burning on the trestle above the river. Firefighters continue suppression efforts and expect the blaze to be out tonight. The second car on the line has had its contents off-loaded into another tanker and will be moved after the fire in the other car is extinguished.
Two lanes on the one side of the four-lane state Route 18 bridge between New Brighton and Beaver Falls have reopened to traffic.
Drinking water supplies, which were never affected, remain safe. All downstream drinking water intakes were secured at the time of the accident. The Department of Environmental Protection, as a precaution, conducted additional sampling at Midland Water Authority’s plant, which serves several communities. River water samples showed no cause for concern.
DEP officials have met with Norfolk Southern representatives to discuss tests to determine the scope and extent of soil contamination at the site, and any required cleanup. Those tests will begin after work finishes to remove the remaining cars.
Local and county emergency management responded quickly to the incident, demonstrating the strength of a regional approach when dealing with such an accident. Additional equipment and personnel were supplied by the multi-county Region 13 Task Force.
Various state agencies responded to the accident, including the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, DEP, Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Transportation. Members of the Civil Air Patrol, which was on a training exercise in Westmoreland County, conducted overflights of the scene to provide photos and aid in site assessment.