Gases will be burnt off from derailed cars to clear tracks by Friday afternoon: Canadian National Railway

The Canadian National Railway will burn off liquified petrolium from nearly a dozen train cars that derailed in Matteson Thursday, the company said Friday.

CN freight trains had resumed moving through the area near the derailment as of Friday afternoon, said company spokesperson Ashley Michnowski.

A controlled burn — called a "flaring — will be used to empty all 11 cars of the liquified petroleum gas inside them, Michnowski said. Once that process is complete, the derailed train will be brought to a nearby Canadian National yard. For now, the derailed cars will remain near the tracks.

Michnowski likened the flaring process to using a barbecue lighter. A pipe attached to each tanker will be used to burn off the vapors, she said. There will be “no odor or smoke,” she added.

The Illinois EPA will also be on scene to help with the cleanup and response, according to an Illinois Commerce Commission spokesperson.

“There is no danger to public safety or to the environment,” Michnowski said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, CN will be monitoring air quality. We are working closely with government agencies and local officials and keeping them apprised of our clean-up efforts.”

A mandatory evacuation order was put in place for Matteson residents who lived within a mile of the derailment after 25 cars in a Canadian National Railway train came off the tracks about 10:30 a.m Thursday near 218th and Main streets. One car containing “residue liquified petroleum gas” leaked, the company said. No other injuries were reported.

A “trace” amount was released by the derailed tanker, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. There were no other breaches to train cars with hazardous materials.

The Federal Railroad Administration will lead the investigation of the derailment, representatives from the agency said. Investigators were on scene Friday, though no details were available. That agency requires railroads to submit a report detailing its version of events; the deadline for CN to file this report is the end of July, though that report won’t be available to the public until at least October, agency representatives told the Sun-Times.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, investigations can vary depending on the situation, though it aims to complete most within 270 days at which point a formal report will be published.

As part of the investigation, the agency will test the tracks and equipment; interview train crews and CN employees; review the railroad’s service records and inspections as well as retrieving data from the train’s black box, also known as the event recorder.

The Illinois Commerce Commission also will inspect the crossing nearest the derailment site to confirm the warning devices and crossing surface are up to state code, according to a representative from the agency.