(The following article by Holley Gilbert was posted on the Oregonian website on June 9.)
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Rail traffic returned to normal early Tuesday after six derailed train cars were moved to a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway terminal for unloading and inspection.
Three cars overturned Monday as they were being switched from a yard track to a main track, spilling about 10 gallons of styrene monomer — a highly flammable chemical — from the valves of two cars, said Gus Melonas, Burlington Northern spokesman.
The leaks were stopped about three hours later by releasing pressure inside the tanks.
The other three cars that derailed remained upright.
All six have been isolated in a terminal where the styrene monomer will be transferred within the coming week to other cars, Melonas said.
The tanker cars, which were traveling at 4 mph when the derailment occurred, will be inspected for problems, and any damage will be repaired, he said.
The cause of the 3:23 p.m. accident is being investigated.
“Obviously it involved a switch, and that’s being looked into further,” he said. Sabotage has been ruled out.
The accident did not damage the main tracks, he said.
One main track was opened by 8 p.m. Monday and the second by 2 a.m. Tuesday. In all, 10 trains were delayed, including two Amtrak passenger trains between Seattle and Portland.
Amtrak chartered buses to ferry passengers around the derailment between the Felida area north of Vancouver and Portland.
A hazardous materials expert and Vancouver firefighters were at the site overnight in case problems developed as the rail cars were lifted upright and moved, said firefighter Jim Flaherty, spokesman for the Vancouver Fire Department.
Fire Chief Don Bivins said late Monday that the derailment was potentially the most dangerous rail incident in the county in the past 20 years.
Officials were concerned that lightning associated with Monday afternoon’s rain storm could trigger an explosion of the styrene monomer, which has a low flash point, he said.
The rail yard and one area business that employs 20 people were evacuated after the spill, officials said.
Cost of the accident was not immediately known, Melonas said.