State of Illinois Settles Ethanol Spill Fish Kill Case
- by Pam Eggemeier, March 5, 2015, Sauk Valley
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"429","attributes":{"alt":"Rock River Illinois ethanol fish kill","class":"media-image","style":"width: 333px; height: 239px; margin: 3px 10px; float: left;","title":"Photo: Alex T. Paschal"}}]]A settlement has been reached with a railroad company responsible for an ethanol spill that caused a significant fish kill in the Rock River nearly 6 years ago, Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office announced Thursday.
In June 2009, a Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad train derailed in Rockford, killing one person. The explosion and resulting fire caused the release of up to 75,000 gallons of an ethanol and gasoline mixture into the surrounding environment, including several miles of the Rock River and its tributaries.
The settlement calls for CCP to pay $150,000 to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Winnebago County to settle alleged violations of the state’s Environmental Protection Act.
Madigan said CCP also agreed to pay $270,000 to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to fund restoration of two nature areas near the Rock River. The company will also pay for a $150,000 stream restoration project in the affected area.