The derailment of 25 cars on a Canadian National Railway freight train Thursday morning caused havoc in Matteson and warnings in Richton Park and Park Forest, along with a temporary evacuation of the area.
Matteson officials lifted a mandatory evacuation for residents of the Historic Matteson Main Street following the derailment at Main Street and 217th Street.
The village ordered the evacuation following the derailment at about 10:30 a.m. The order was lifted at 1:30 p.m.
“Everything has been mitigated and there is no danger to the public,” Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin said Thursday afternoon. “There is no danger, nothing toxic, nothing that can harm anyone here.”
Chalmers-Currin said there is “a lot of equipment to be removed from the area,” and the vicinity of the Matteson Main Street Metra station would likely be congested for a while.
Matteson fire Chief Michael Bacon said the derailment happened on the east side of the Canadian National tracks near Main Street, and though no injuries were involved, emergency personnel became concerned after they learned of the potential for hazardous materials being transported by the railcars.
“It was in the best interest of the community to have an evacuation take place,” Bacon said.
Matteson spokesperson Sean Howard said responders noticed a white, powdery substance leaking from one of the freight cars. Because many of the cars were carrying chemical substances, Howard said officials ordered the evacuation as a precaution in case of a fire.
The white substance was later identified as plastic pellets, according to Hazmat Team Chief Steve DeJong, who also is Homewood’s deputy fire chief. The pellets posed no hazard, he said.
DeJong said there was more concern about substances being transported that were reported to be liquid propane, similar to that used in backyard grills, but it turned out the railcar was nearly empty of the chemical.
“There were only residual amounts, and there are no current leaks,” DeJong said shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday.
The first evacuation order urged people to take medicines and other supplies with them because it could a long term, but it was lifted within three hours of the derailment.
“It was very precautionary because we were dealing with something that we couldn’t take a chance on, given the recent reports of derailments and powdery substances that have led to fires,” Howard said.
Train derailments are becoming increasingly common with more than 1,000 derailments across the country in 2022, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration. While most don’t cause major disasters, Chalmers-Currin said Matteson officials did not want to take any chances given the high volume of trains that pass through the area.
“We always have to be cautious whenever we have situations like this, and we did everything we were supposed to do,” Chalmers-Currin said. “I know that with what took place in Ohio, that individuals are already concerned that we have a similar situation, but I am assured that that is totally not the situation here, and I’m happy to hear that.”
The Canadian National Railway Co. said about 25 railcars carrying various substances derailed, but there were no fires or injuries. One railcar containing residue liquified petroleum gas leaked a limited amount of product, the company said in a statement.
“The product has since been contained and there is no danger to public safety,” the statement said.
Metra Electric trains run near the site of the derailment, but on separate tracks. Commuter rail service to the handful of stops between Matteson and the end of the line was suspended after the crash because of the potential for a hazmat spill, but had resumed by about 1:20 p.m., spokesman Michael Gillis said.
During that time, the spokesperson said Metra redirected trains from Chicago to Olympia Fields.
Howard said Chalmers-Currin was going door-to-door to help with evacuation efforts early on. She said the evacuation involved about a two-block area of the old downtown area of Matteson.
Chalmers-Currin said several Illinois officials, including U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, reached out after hearing about the derailment.
“We’re glad to inform them in D.C. that this is not a situation similar to what took place in Ohio, the community is safe,” Chalmer-Currin said. “We’re now moving the tanks, and we wanted to make sure that the public is aware that they’re safe.”
Chalmers-Currin said village officials were still awaiting word Thursday afternoon about what caused the derailment and an investigation is ongoing.
“There is no immediate danger to the public, but we encourage everyone to remain clear of the area to allow crews to safely and efficiently conduct the clean-up process,” the village said in a statement.
Chicago Tribune’s Sarah Freishtat contributed.
