Four days after a 21-car train derailment south of Galena, Ill., BNSF Railway has reopened the tracks to train traffic.
There haven’t been any injuries or accidents among the public or responders during the multi-day clean-up efforts, the EPA said.
And. despite fires from the derailed cars, the EPA has not detected any chemical emissions nor has it observed any oil in the nearby Galena and Mississippi Rivers.
“We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the first responders at this incident and the coordination and cooperation offered by local officials to keep the community safe. BNSF Railway sincerely regrets the inconvenience this event has caused to the community,” the company said in a statement.
The cause of the March 5 derailment of a freight train carrying crude oil, remains under investigation, BNSF said in a statement.
Clean-up efforts are being completed by Jo Daviess County, Illinois EPA and BNSF Railway and are being overseen by U.S. EPA personnel. The EPA also called in four members of the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team to assist.