A Finger Lakes Railway train derailed in Milo, NY on Monday. The train operator, Thomas Lewis, suffered an arm injury and was treated at a local hospital. The locomotive, which had no cars attached at the time of the derailment, tipped over after striking a derailment apparatus that was in place to accommodate rail replacement work underway in the area.
The Department of Environmental Conservation issued the following statement: “Quick work by the DEC spill responders, local emergency officials, and spill response contractors stopped any fuel from a train engine derailment making it into Plum Creek and Seneca Lake. The rollover happened adjacent to a culvert and tributary to Plum Creek. The fuel tank was ruptured and product leaked at an estimated 40 to 50 gallons per minute. Spill responders used a special putty to plug the ruptured fuel tank. Absorbent booms and pads were used in the water to contain and collect pooled fuel. A vacuum truck is currently being used to collect much of the spilled fuel. The fuel tank was tapped and the rest of the contents were emptied. The cleanup efforts are continuing and will be closely overseen by DEC.”
