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State Officials File Lawsuit after 2009 Train Derailment

By: Sabrina Santucci
Updated: June 21, 2012
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A major fish kill struck the Kishwaukee and Rock rivers soon after the accident. More than 72,000 fish turned up dead in the days and weeks after the train crash.

 

 

Thirteen train cars exploded into flames at the railroad crossing of south Mulford Road. Two of the cars were ruptured and spilled nearly 60,000 gallons of ethanol into a creek next to the tracks.

 

According to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Winnebago County that ethanol had a devastating affect on 50 miles of river.

 

Now the state wants reparations, which at least one fisherman says is needed. "This is about reparations. About restoring the wildlife to what it was before the accident," said Deputy State's Attorney Dave Kurlinkus.

 

 

"There's still some good fishing here, but it's definitely slowed down," said fisherman Al Tighe.

 

A spokesman for the railroad WTVO spoke with won't go into specifics of the lawsuit, but he did say that Chicago National disagrees that the ethanol spill killed the fish.

 

 

   

 

 

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