Well, yet another train has derailed. It’s been a couple of weeks, so it was probably time. It would be a shame if too many trains just stayed on the tracks and got to where they needed to go without anything going wrong. Train companies have got to meet their quota for environmental disasters after all.
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This time around, CNN reports this latest derailment took place north of Rockwood, Maine near Moosehead Lake. And instead of spilling toxic chemicals everywhere, this train just started a forest fire. Just because it didn’t spill hazardous materials doesn’t mean it wasn’t carrying any. According to a statement made by Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry spokesperson Jim Britt, the “hazardous materials are not at risk of leaking and are not at risk of catching fire.”
So at least there’s that. The other good news is that no one was killed when the train derailed, although three workers were hospitalized with injuries that are reportedly not life-threatening.
As far as the cause of the derailment, the Maine Forest Service reportedly claims “an early assessment indicates that the derailment may have been caused by a build-up of melting ice and debris that washed out part of the railroad track.” The fire that it started was also reportedly described as “small” and has been contained. Local emergency crews are keeping an eye on it, but don’t expect it to spread.
Maine Governor Janet Mills also tweeted about the derailment, saying “there is no threat to public health or safety.”