WESTPORT, N.Y. — A Canadian Pacific Railway freight train spilled a hazardous powder Saturday as one car derailed and was dragged for seven miles in northern New York state, a wire service reported.
No injuries were reported, said state Trooper Brian Rhoney.
As a precaution, county officials declared a state of emergency in this town of about 1,300 people near the Canadian border but no one was evacuated, said Ray Thatcher, Essex County director of emergency services.
“We were fortunate it was as good as it was,” Thatcher said.
The spill began in a residential area and ended in a rural farming area, Rhoney said. He identified the spilled chemical as sodium chlorate, which can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation, with serious illness possible if it is ingested. It also can post a fire risk.
A mechanical problem was probably to blame as one of the cars in the 65-car Canadian Pacific Railway freight jumped the tracks en route from Montreal to Saratoga, said spokesman Michel Spenard.
As the car dragged, a valve sheared off, Spenard said. A driver stopped at a rail crossing spotted the powder dribbling out as the train passed and managed to flag the train down at the next crossing, he said.
It was not clear how much sodium chlorate powder spilled from the dragging car, one of 65 on the southbound route. The spill also ignited an acre-wide forest fire, which crews quickly contained; five firefighters who were exposed to the chemical had to be decontaminated but there were no injuries.
The path of the spill was in an open area without water, and there was “nothing to cause environmental issues,” Spenard said.
The spill began in a residential area and ended in a rural farming area, Rhoney said.