A freight train derailed in Mansfield Thursday morning, raising concerns of environmental contamination in a nearby waterway.
The incident involved about a dozen New England Central Railroad train cars, some of which were carrying liquified propane.
Two people were onboard the train. No injuries were reported. A shelter-in-place order was issued for residents within a half mile of 1090 Stafford Rd., state officials said.
At a 4 p.m. briefing, Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache confirmed specifics: the train had 41 cars and two locomotives. Thirteen cars detached from the train, with 10 of those derailing. Four cars ended up in the water.
One of the derailed cars that did not end up in the water was carrying “food-grade grease,” about 2,000 gallons of which leaked, Roache said.
“That leak has been stopped, and crews on scene are mitigating that spill and cleaning that up,” Roache said. “It’s basically just animal fat.”
Roache said more than 100 responders were on scene and would work through the night.
He said heavy equipment from the railroad company would arrive late Thursday night around midnight. Clean up is expected to last several days, and could be complicated by anticipated frigid cold temperatures, set to drop with snow Friday and negative wind chills over the weekend.
“We may actually take a pause and let the weather come through, and then do it when it's safe after,” Roache said. “We don't want to risk anybody's safety trying to do this in a snowstorm.”
New England Central Railroad Division Vice President Brian McClain said the train originated in Palmer, Massachusetts, and had been bound for Willimantic, Connecticut.
Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said the incident, while significant, “could have been worse.”
The derailment was “something that went horribly wrong that could have gone worse,” Aylesworth said. “At this moment in time, it does not appear that we're going to be dealing with a lot of environmental contamination issues.” Aylesworth said he had issued a local declaration of emergency, “so that we can hopefully be able to obtain, as needed, any subsequent resources needed to help with the spill response and any cleanup effort that's needed.”
Chief Roache said a shelter in place order for residents within a half-mile of the incident remained in effect, and advised those residents to keep windows closed “out of an abundance of caution.”
Roache said it was “way too early to even speculate” on the cause of the derailment, but that state and federal investigators were on scene.
A rapid response
First responders and hazmat specialists were responding to a possible hazardous fuel leak Thursday morning. Railroad and town officials said that as of midday Thursday, there was no indication that any of the cars were leaking hazardous fuel.
"None are leaking at this time," said Adam Libros, Mansfield's emergency managment director. "They are constantly being monitored to make sure there are no leaks coming in the future."
The train was carrying propane, lumber, grain and grease, authorities said.
"The incident is under control," said Rick Green, a spokesperson with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. "There is no need for evacuation at this time."
Residents were advised to avoid Route 32, Stafford Road, which is closed between Route 275 and Route 44 East near Eagleville Pond.
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, about 25 miles east of Hartford.
The flagship UConn campus is located near the incident. But UConn officials said there were no impacts from the spill on its Storrs and Depot campuses.
"The site isn’t contiguous to UConn and the university isn’t experiencing any interruptions or impacts," spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said in an email.
"There is no reported leak at this time; however, rail cars will need to be placed upright," Margaret Chatey, with the town of Mansfield, said in an email. "Crews are working carefully to complete this. It is extremely important that residents stay indoors in case a leak occurs during this process."
Emergency responders and state environmental officials are on the scene and residents are advised to avoid the area.
“All residents within a half-mile of this area should shelter in place,” a town social media post reads. “No evacuations are being recommended at this time, but please watch for updates as authorities on the scene evaluate the situation.”
This is a developing story and will be updated. Connecticut Public's Chris Polansky, Matt Dwyer, Jim Haddadin and Patrick Skahill contributed to this report.