Plainfield Derailment Could Leave Thousands Without Heat This Winter: Nicor

PLAINFIELD, IL — Just as the long 4th of July weekend was getting under way, a Canadian National train derailed near a neighborhood in Plainfield, snarling traffic and dumping more than 30,000 gallons of crude oil. The derailment slowed train traffic for several days and took weeks to clean up — and now, nearly three months later, it could leave some Nicor customers in the cold.

A segment of pipeline was being rebuilt at the time of the derailment and has been inoperable since — which could leave more than 250,000 Nicor customers without heat this winter, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Nicor filed suit in Cook County this week demanding that CN give it access to the segment of pipeline to make sure there's enough gas to heat homes in western Cook and eastern DuPage counties.

CN, meanwhile, is demanding that Nicor take financial responsibility for the oil spill, blaming Nicor contractors for weakening the ground that supports the tracks and allegedly causing the derailment, according to Crain's.

Nicor on Thursday said it is seeking a court order to gain access to the key section of pipeline, which crosses CN tracks. Nicor said the pipeline was being rebuilt at the time of the derailment as part of a nine-year Illinois Commerce Commission-approved project to modernize its core pipeline transmission system in Illinois.

The cause of the derailment remains under federal investigation, Nicor said, adding that the pipeline has been out of commission since the June 30 derailment and CN will not give Nicor contractors access to it.

"As a result of the impasse, Nicor Gas is taking the necessary step of seeking a court order against CN to ensure the work can be completed before the winter heating season," the utility said in a statement. "This pipeline is required to ensure safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to more than 250,000 customers who rely on natural gas during the winter heating season. Every customer, large or small, deserves the peace of mind that their homes will be warm, their businesses will run and their families will be safe this winter."

According to Nicor's complaint, the pipeline was built under railroad right-of-way in 1977, and since then, Nicor has paid $20,000 per year to access it. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

CN, which in July told the Federal Railroad Administration that the derailment was caused by a rapid loss of soil below the tracks, said it recognizes the importance of Nicor's services. "(B)ut just like railways, utility companies must discharge that responsibility safely," a CN spokesman told Crain's, adding that a CN investigation showed the derailment was "due to the faulty installation of a Nicor natural-gas pipe below the track."

The dispute could leave residents in some communities in the cold, including Des Plaines, Schaumburg, Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst, La Grange, Brookfield, Western Springs and Oak Brook.

The June 30 derailment caused traffic backups, road and business closings, and slowed down train traffic in the area. Oil leaked from several of the 115 train cars, flowing into trenches alongside the tracks. Representatives of the EPA were on the scene following the spill, and police said there were no reports of crude oil leaking into the DuPage River.

In this July 1, 2017 file photo, cleanup and containment continues, following the derailment of 20 Canadian National railroad tankers in Plainfield, Ill. Most roads have reopened in Plainfield after the train carrying crude oil derailed about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. Plainfield police say it will take several days to clean up the oil near the village's downtown business district. (Credit: Daniel White/Daily Herald via AP, File)