(The following report appeared at WKYC.com on October 26.)
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — There has been no official determination of the cause of a cargo train derailment that created a fire that burned for days and forced hundreds out of their homes for nearly a week.
Painesville fire officials say the cause of the derailment will be determined by the National Transportation Safety Board and that the final report could take up to two years to complete.
CSX is in the process of reimbursing municipalities for reasonable costs incurred during the disaster. Officials say the company has been very cooperative.
The 30 plus cars, which derailed, contained mostly ethanol, a hazardous flammable liquid, but considered non-toxic. There were also concerns about a tanker or propane-which had firefighter concerned about a potential explosion. Concerns over that tanker car extended the evacuation for those living closest to the tracks.
To date, the city of Painesville says it has been reimbursed for $134,000 for safety forces overtime, vehicle usage, supplies and other expenses. A total of 51 area fire departments responded to the disaster. To date, authorities say 20 have submitted bills for their expenses to CSX totaling $275,000.
The tracks have been reopened and trains are moving through the area. Clean-up at the site, however, is still ongoing.