By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

ARCADIA, Ohio — The transportation of hazardous chemicals isn’t foremost in the minds of most people. But last week’s ethanol train derailment in Arcadia caught the attention of folks throughout the Midwest.

Twenty-six cars derailed from the 62-car eastbound train in Hancock County, roughly 60 miles south of Toledo, on Feb. 6. Each of the derailed cars carried 33,000 gallons of denatured ethanol (ethanol spiked with a small amount of gasoline so that it is not suitable for human consumption).

The overturned cars exploded into fireballs. Residents from 20 homes and farms near the derailment site were evacuated. No one was injured in the mishap, and flames did not spread to a fertilizer plant near the tracks as some had feared. More than 100 firefighters were on the scene of the incident.

Even though the tracks have reopened, cleanup in the area is still under way. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is monitoring for air quality and soil contamination in the area. Estimated cost for the cleanup is set at $7 million.

While officials at several ethanol companies in Ohio and Indiana refused to comment on the incident, Cardinal Ethanol CEO and President Jeff Painter was anxious to quell any bad thoughts people might have about ethanol and its transportation.

“First and foremost, rail is a safe way to transport ethanol,” Painter said from his company headquarters in Union City, Ind. “We’ve been using the railroads to transport gasoline for years and the amount of gasoline that is transported by rail, truck and pipeline is significantly greater than what is transported by the ethanol industry.”

Ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, has many commercial uses, but its transport in trainload lots has increased significantly during the past five years because of its growing use as a pollution-control additive in gasoline. Ethanol must be added to gasoline at regional distribution terminals, rather than being mixed in gasoline before it is piped from oil refineries, because it attracts and bonds well with water, which contaminates the fuel.

There are 189 ethanol plants in the United States. Iowa has the most, with 40. Cardinal Ethanol in Indiana uses more than 36 million bushels of corn and produces roughly 100 million gallons of ethanol per year.

“We’re not doing anything different than we’ve done in years and years,” Painter added. “Ethanol is a different fuel and has to be handled differently when it comes to safety and cleanup. There’s a lot of training and materials available to help firefighters and emergency crews in handling spills from ethanol.”

Spills have occurred almost annually. In 2010, six rail cars containing ethanol derailed near Willimantic, Conn. In 2009, 18 of 78 ethanol-filled cars derailed and exploded near Rockford, Ill., killing one person and injuring three.

In 2008, six ethanol-filled cars derailed near Cambria, Minn. In 2007, six of 41 ethanol cars derailed near West Wheatfield, Pa.  In 2006, 23 cars of a train derailed near Pittsburgh, Pa.

“The good thing is ethanol is water-soluble,” Painter said. “It’s a bore liquid that’s soluble in both fresh and salt water.”

The incident near Arcadia is still under investigation. “We had 30,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia right next to the railroad tracks,” said Hancock County Emergency Director Garry Valentine. “Fortunately, the blaze didn’t spread to the chemical tanks.”

Norfolk Southern will be financially responsible for all costs incurred as a result of the accident.

Train derailments such as these bring to light the need to address larger issues associated with the U.S. transportation infrastructure. “That means understanding what investments need to be made in rail infrastructure so that accidents involving ethanol or much more dangerous materials can be prevented in the future,” said Mark Durno, EPA’s on-scene coordinator at this accident.

“The ethanol industry is ready to work with our partners in the rail industry to continuously improve the safe transport of ethanol all across the country.”
In the meantime, ethanol companies continue to get the word out about the benefits of ethanol. Two weeks ago the Ethanol Ohio Roundtable was held in Columbus, Ohio. That meeting included former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Last Thursday, retired Gen. Wesley Clark and other members of Cardinal Ethanol held a public meeting at Winchester High School in Winchester, Ind., to field questions about ethanol.