AMITE, La. — All area schools re-opened this morning, the evacuation has been downsized and one rail car remains from Saturday’s 22-car train derailment and hazardous material spill, the Hammond Daily Star reports.
The cleanup of spilled hydrochloric acid and styrene is ongoing, however, with no firm timeline for completion. Parish President Gordon Burgess said another downsizing of the evacuation area could occur sometime today.
Details were sketchy this morning about how many people were still out of their homes near the railroad track south of the downtown area.
The American Red Cross Shelter at Roseland Elementary School was closed last night. Evacuees were sent to area hotels on Canadian National Railroad’s tab.
During a packed town hall meeting called by Mayor Reggie Goldsby Monday afternoon, evacuees aired numerous complaints about Red Cross services, evacuation notices and questions about the threat posed by the spill.
The entire operation was out of his hands, Goldsby said, adding that railroad, Red Cross, State Police and one medical expert were there to answer questions.
Goldsby said he will arrange for railroad officials and evacuees to meet in City Hall next week to resolve expenses because of the evacuation.
Although an earlier State Police report was that 19 cars had derailed, another State Police HazMat specialist told the crowd it was 22 cars, not all of which ruptured during the accident. He could not give specifics about how much hydrochloric acid and styrene had spilled from the cars that did rupture.
Dr. Glenn Millner, a toxicologist brought in to assess the health threat, said air monitors had been set up around the site and showed no airborne threat.
The spilled materials would irritate eyes, nose and throat if breathed in, but here would be no lasting effects unless someone stood directly over the pools of spilled material and breathed in for some time, Millner said.
One woman complained that she was not notified to evacuate until much later after the accident occurred and that she had an asthma attack during that time.
Another man asked numerous questions about wind speed and threat factors.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office distributed a flyer, “Operation: Home Safely,” through many areas of the town late Monday afternoon. The flyer dealt with some of the questions about health risks.
According to the flyer, air has tested safe at all the area schools and around the perimeter of the spill site. There is no effect on drinking water, food, pets or air conditioning filters.
State Rep. Robby Carter, D-Greensburg, told those gathered he would try to get independent air monitoring of the area from the state Department of Health and Hospitals.
Randy Harrison, spokesman for CNR, said the company would place all evacuees in hotels and would make sure they are fed and comfortable.
Several people complained that evacuees were forced to sleep on the floor at the Red Cross shelter and either weren’t fed or received inadequate food.
Robert Ross, a Red Cross director, said he was stationed in St. Rose near New Orleans at the time of the derailment and arrived in the area soon after. The shelter at Roseland was set up by 6 p.m. Saturday and those there were offered hamburgers and French fries, Ross said. Adequate cots and more hot food did not arrive until Sunday morning, he said. Only 25 cots were available in Tangipahoa Parish prior to the shipment, he said.
Those in the shelter were fed hot food until the shelter closed Monday night, he said.
More information about the status of the cleanup and evacuation is expected to be available throughout the day. Contact numbers are 748-8147 for the Sheriff’s Office, 748-6169 for the Amite Police Department, 748-9412 for the Amite Fire Department and 748-3211 for the parish Office of Emergency Management.