During the Rotary Club of Elkton’s weekly meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Todd County Emergency Management Director Ash Groves and Judge-Executive Todd Mansfield provided a candid, behind-the-scenes account of the December 30th CSX train derailment near Trenton.
According to Groves, the first calls reporting the derailment came in at 6:25 AM, prompting crews to rush to the scene without knowing the full extent of the situation.
Groves explained that the shelter-in-place order was issued immediately after molten sulfur was confirmed to be leaking from one of the cars.
He added that upon arrival, CSX hazardous materials officials deployed a drone to conduct aerial surveillance of the leak.
Groves emphasized that public safety and environmental integrity remained top priorities during the derailment response. Air quality was continuously monitored, ensuring that no toxic threat remained before lifting the shelter-in-place order for Trenton residents. While molten sulfur leaked at the site, responders noted it solidified quickly upon contact with the air, likely preventing deep penetration into the groundwater or soil. Long-term remediation efforts are now underway, including the excavation of impacted soil and ongoing groundwater testing by environmental contractors.
In addition to the molten sulfur, the train cars that were derailed were also hauling McDonald’s French fries, chickpeas, and distiller’s mash.
The train tracks were back in service within 24 hours of the derailment, ending a costly disruption that reportedly bled CSX millions of dollars an hour and stalled logistics across the country.
In addition to CSX and R. J. Corman Railroad Group, other responding agencies included the Sheriff’s Department, Trenton Police, and the Todd County Rescue Squad. Fire support was provided by the Trenton, Elkton, and Guthrie volunteer departments.
Regional and technical aid came from the Hopkinsville Fire/HazMat team, Christian County Emergency Management, and Christian County Dispatch. State partners included the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Office of Governor Andy Beshear, and the National Weather Service in Paducah.
Groves also thanked Wade Chester, of Chester Farms, who allowed emergency management to set up their operations center in his farm shop.
Groves noted that cleanup will take about four more weeks; crews must wait for the molten sulfur to harden before they can safely remove the wreckage. It will likely be many months before a report is released on what led to the train derailment.
