(The following story by Maggi Martin appeared on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website on October 12.)
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — CSX officials got the go-ahead from the federal government Thursday afternoon to begin removing the 30 broken, burning cars of a Buffalo-bound train that derailed Wednesday.
Officials estimated it could take several days to attack the fire source with foam and fire-retardant chemicals. Some 250 firefighters from 30 departments were on the scene over the last two days helping to cool potentially explosive tankers and to supervise the closed tracks and roads.
Painesville Fire Chief Mark Mlachak said heavy rains and wind diminished the danger to residents because the cooling effect of the raindrops kept a tanker full of liquefied petroleum gas from igniting.
But EPA officials remained concerned about area fish and wildlife, which could be harmed by ethanol.
The train derailed just south of Ohio 2 on the Painesville-Mentor border about noon Wednesday.
The cause of the derailment remains unknown.
A three-mile section of Ohio 44 between Ohio 84 and Heisley Road is expected to stay closed and evacuation orders for a half-mile zone near the accident site will remain in place for at least another day.
CSX officials said eight of the cars contained toxic chemicals, including ethanol and phthalic anhydride, a chemical used in making plastics. The anhydride can cause burning if inhaled and skin irritations.
EPA workers have installed two earthen dams, one near Ohio 44 and the other near a branch of Blackbrook Creek, which drains into Mentor Marsh.
The dams helped contain toxins leaking from the tankers and polluted rain water from entering the waterway and creeks nearby.
Frank Kellogg, director of environmental health for Lake County Health Department said air samples did not detect any airborne toxins or hazardous chemicals.
Painesville Police Lt. Denise Mercsak said about 300 homes in Heisley Park Development and apartments on Brookstone, Cobblestone and Forest Brook Drives remain evacuated because of concerns over leaking chemicals. Residents were allowed to go into their homes to retrieve family pets or medicines only with a police escort.
CSX provided displaced families with hotel rooms.
“We realize this was a significant disruption in their lives and we will provide for residents as long as it is necessary,” CSX spokesman Gary Sease said.
He said inspectors would review the train’s event recorder to determine if broken tracks or damaged train parts caused the accident. More than 30 CSX trains that run daily on the track will be rerouted to Norfolk Southern tracks until the site is reopened and tracks are repaired.
“The fire is receding, and there is a great improvement in conditions,” Mlachak said.
Officials have established a 24-hour hotline with information about the evacuation: 440 918-5469 and 440 918-5470.