The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report Tuesday on a deadly 2009 train derailment in Winnebago County.
It has been more than two and a half years since a Canadian National train hauling ethanol derailed in Cherry Valley, exploding into a massive fire that killed a Rockford woman at a train crossing. The NTSB confirms the cause of the derailment was a track washout, about an hour before the train arrived. The five member federal panel ruled a number of issues led to the issue, and released 15 new recommendations to help prevent a similar accident in the future.
Among those: a nation-wide review of storm-water management systems, as well as informing a wide range of groups about the specifics of this derailment so they can learn from it. That includes local governments, railroads, engineering groups, and pipeline operators.
Here's a link to the NTSB's report: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2012/cherry_valley/index.html
