WOOD RIVER — Multiple fire departments have responded to a chemical vapor venting in Wood River.
On Wednesday afternoon, Norfolk Southern responded to a stationary rail car containing spent sulfuric acid that had become over pressurized and was venting, according to Jeff DeGraff of the railroad. The car was part of a group of five cars originally picked up from the Phillips 66 refinery and staged while awaiting pick up by KCS Railroad, he said.
At 9:30 p.m. the staging area for first responders was moved farther from the scene, from the Wood River Police Department to Illinois 111.
As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, work continued to suppress and dissipate the vapors releasing from the rail cars.
“The same four rail cars continue to vent,” DeGraff said Thursday in a written statement. “Water is being applied to the cars to dissipate the vapor with good results. Air quality measurements remain within safe parameters in and around the area during this process.
“We continue to work with our partners on possible remedies, but at this time this course of action is still the best and safest option,” he said.
All of these efforts will continue through the overnight hours of Friday with little change anticipated, he noted.
“We are also monitoring wind and weather forecasts to stay ahead of any potential shifts,” he said.
“At around 4:30 a.m., local officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the immediate area. At this time, no evacuation order has been made.”
The shelter-in-place order will remain in effect until 6 a.m. as a precaution, Wood River police said.
“Norfolk Southern and its partners are working with the best interests of the community’s safety at the forefront,” DeGraff said. “We appreciate the patience of the residents and encourage them to monitor official social media channels for updates.“
Late Wednesday and early Thursday, Wood River police and fire were joined at the scene by the Madison County Emergency Management Agency Command Post, Norfolk Southern personnel and hazardous material contractors. First responders from multiple communities also were on-scene assessing the situation, monitoring air quality and developing containment plans.
At about 3:30 a.m. Thursday mutual aid for equipment and manpower was requested from East Alton, Roxana, Alton, Godfrey, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Mitchell and fire crews from the Phillips 66-operated Wood River Refinery in Roxana.
The incident involved four rail cars. All firefighters near the “hot zone,” as it was referred to by firefighters, were wearing protective breathing apparatus and rotating in and out of the area with fresh crews as they became tired.
“Overnight, two adjacent cars also began venting due to over pressurization,” DeGraff said earlier Thursday.
DeGraff said a “water curtain” has been deployed to help disperse the escaping vapor. Additionally, water is being put directly on the rail cars to contain the vapors.
At 10 a.m. Thursday a fourth rail car began venting, DeGraff said.
“The safest course of action at this time is to continue showering the cars with water to dissipate the vapor being released,” he said. “As we’ve done this, air quality readings have returned to safe levels.”
DeGraff said venting of the vapors was done as part of a safety mechanism to reduce built up pressure in the rail cars.
“There has not been any release, leak or spills of liquids or solids from the tank cars,” he said. “We encourage residents to follow advisories posted by local officials and refer any questions to them.”
A “Code Red” warning was issued to about 500 residences in the affected area, advising residents to shelter in place, close windows and turn off air conditioning units. Sixth Street in Wood River also was closed south of Illinois 143 to Illinois 111 as a precaution.
DeGraff said Wood River police and fire departments were coordinating with Norfolk Southern’s environmental contractors and government agencies as to when to lift the “shelter in place” warning.
Authorities said that at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday Wood River firefighters received an EMS call for a train engineer feeling sick and having trouble breathing under the Phoebe Goldberg overpass. The train he was on had just passed the stationary rail cars.
The engineer was treated and transferred to a local hospital.
In unrelated news, Wood River officials also announced Thursday morning that a boil order is in place for part of the community.
At 4 a.m. the city of Wood River Public Services Facebook page reported water service was unavailable for a portion of the community because of a water main break under the Phoebe Goldberg overpass. A boil order has been issued for at least Friday night or Saturday morning.
"wood" - Google News
June 04, 2021 at 07:17AM
https://ift.tt/2THKrTe
Wood River haz mat scare, shelter-in-place order effective until 6 a.m. Friday - The Edwardsville Intelligencer
"wood" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3du6D7I
No comments:
Post a Comment