(Lafayette) Louisiana orders evacuation after train derails

Source: Reuters

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Authorities evacuated 3,000 people on Saturday after a train derailment released deadly chemicals in the southern Louisiana town of Lafayette.

Two of out of the six railroad cars that came off the tracks are leaking hydrochloric acid, according to the Louisiana State Police. Hydrochloric acid in mist or liquid form can severely burn human skin, eyes, lungs and intestines.

Residents within a mile radius of the derailment were taken to a high school outside the city, said Andrew Shenkan, general manager of KATC-TV, which is operating a telephone information line for evacuees. The phone line was last activated for Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Those ordered to evacuate are being told to expect to be out of their homes for at least 48 hours, Shenkan said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1746637420080517?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

I think it is UP track there, but not certain.

<snip>
Hydrochloric acid can cause respiratory problems and skin and eye irritation, according to Joe Faust, a spokesman for the Texas-based BNSF Railway that operated the train involved in the spill.

Faust said BNSF was sending lime to the area to neutralize the hydrochloric acid. He declined to speculate on how long the cleanup might take but said residents wouldn't be allowed back into the area until officials were certain the hazardous material was gone.

"We want to make sure that they're not returning home prematurely," Faust said. "We want to make sure the entire area is clean."
<snip>

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5fi2_0Cal3EmLAcTZNoqye_J2QQD90NJ8G00

I used to work for UP, and was wondering.

There are some nasty-assed chemicals that roll through that part of the country.

I guess it's used to make various things, but I never thought of it as being shipped around the country in its dangerous state (mist or liquid) in large quantities. But I guess it would be, wouldn't it?

You know who lives around RR tracks, don't you? The poor, usually. At least in that area of the country.

close to the tracks on one side of town and a full hospital on the other side of town near the tracks. the doctors have a pretty exclusive neighborhood next to the tracks. They built a big brick wall, but that wouldn't help with any dangerous gas leak.

Of course, some of the older tracks are in the poorest neighborhoods.

:hi:

I was just thinking about all of the stuff we have here (not Lafayette) that is so close to the rr tracks.

I've been to Lafayette once. Made me want to change out of my suit and into thin cotton blouse and skirt and drink ice tea all day. It really had that heat and humidity and "sleepiness" of the deep south, delta south. It felt like I had gone back in time.

:hi:

my husband works at a chemical plant in La., and we live smack dab in between two sets of train tracks (middle income area), as well as amongst several other plants.

in louisiana, it is not unusual for anyone to live near tracks- not strictly for the poor in all honesty, and even very upper-end areas, gated communities often have a set of train tracks quite near if not straight through (in fact, i'm a real estate agent, & i went for an inspection a few weeks ago in an upper-end neighborhood/top dollar for the area/oh, about, 2500 sq ft bigger than my house, and the tracks were maybe 3 houses down), near enough for there to be extreme danger in the event of a derailment.

also not unusual for hydrochloric acid to be traveling on those cars- not all all, and it's actually one of the lesser concerns! my husband's plant deals a lot with chlorine- back in our dating days (long before he ever worked at a chem plant, was in college w/ major in chemistry- it's pretty much a way of life where we grew up; all of our parents were either teachers, nurses, or worked at a plant), he'd point to the cars and tell me exactly what dangerous chemical was being transported so casually near residential areas, and how if there were ever a train derailment involving chlorine we'd all be dead.

Nice to hear from some of my home-staters.

Here's a wave back atcha!:hi:

Source: AP

Six cars of a freight train derailed early Saturday, including one that began leaking hydrochloric acid, causing thousands of people to evacuate homes, businesses and two nursing homes within one mile of the wreck.

The spilled acid sent a toxic cloud over the area, and at least five people, including two railroad workers, were taken to a hospital and treated after complaining of skin and eye irritation, said Lafayette Parish sheriff's Lt. Craig Stansbury.

Acadian Ambulance official Clay Henry said 20 bed-bound residents of the Our Lady of the Oaks nursing home taken to a hospital.

Police walked door-to-door notifying residents of the mandatory evacuation in an area with an estimated population of 3,500 people. "We're advising them to take enough supplies for approximately 48 hours," Stansbury said...


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080517/ap_on_re_us/train_derailment

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