(The following story by Maggi Martin appeared on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website on October 11.)
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — About a dozen CSX freight cars continued to burn Wednesday night after a Buffalo-bound train derailed just after noon, forcing the evacuation of about 1,300 residents from up to a half-mile away.
Painesville Fire Chief Mark Mlachak said firefighters would prefer to let ethanol from at least two ruptured tanker cars burn out, which would be safer and would help the chemical evaporate.
No one was injured in the accident and CSX officials did not know what caused the 112-car freight train to derail, which occurred about a quarter-mile east of Ohio 44.
Mlachak said fire officials are most concerned about one tanker containing liquid petroleum. Each tanker car can hold up to 30,000 gallons.
“We are doing everything we can to cool the tank and keep it from exploding.” Mlachak said. “We are going to continue cooling it while EPA builds a containment system to control the runoff. We feel comfortable we can contain it.”
Reggie Brown, a member of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s emergency response team, said the chemicals are not considered a hazard to nearby residents, but they were concerned that runoff from the alcohol tanker would kill fish and wildlife.
The marshy area around the railroad tracks has a ditch that empties into Blackbrook Creek, which drains into Mentor Marsh, a federally designated natural landmark.
Brown said EPA inspectors will monitor the air and water overnight in six different spots for any contamination.
They plan to build earthen dams to contain any chemical runoff.
Plumes of thick black smoke could be seen more than three miles away.
CSX spokesman Garrick Francis said about a dozen cars were on fire. Eight contained hazardous materials including ethanol, liquid petroleum and phtalic anhydride, a chemical used in making plastics.
He said none of the chemicals was toxic.
Officials were trying to determine if the train exploded or if the derailment caused the loud noise residents heard.
Ken Gauntner, spokesman for Lake County commissioners, said nearby residents were alerted either in person or with the Reverse 9-1-1 system, which generates computer alerts to homeowners.
Residents were evacuated to the Central YMCA and the senior center in Painesville and to Mentor Senior Center.
Officials reopened Ohio 2 at 4:30 p.m. but kept Ohio 44 closed.
Ohio and U.S. EPA officials took smoke samples, but fire officials said they did not expect to find anything hazardous in the air.
“There is nothing hazardous burning,” Mercsak said. “A team of fire and railroad officials have been to the site and reported nothing hazardous is leaking. We are keeping residents away as a precaution until the fire is out.”
Dawn Cole, a Lake County Health Department representative, said they were monitoring the area as a precaution.
Adjacent roads were jammed with traffic as officials closed Ohio 2 and Ohio 44. Portions of Heisley and Jackson Street were also closed as a precaution.
Ron Paul, an employee at nearby Gander Mountain on Diamond Center Drive, said the power went out around noon but was restored in minutes.
Jackie Robertson, who lives in the nearby Cobblestone Court apartments, was one of hundreds evacuated.
“We could see the fire from miles away,” Robertson said. “We were pretty worried. But firefighters told us the marshy area around the fire would probably stop it from spreading.”
Bill Loebbaka, president of Core Systems LLC, located near the derailment, estimated he lost $400,000 worth of business after fire officials evacuated the plant, which makes parts for washers and dishwashers.