(The following article by Sandy Davis was posted on the Baton Rouge Advocate website on June 1.)
BATON ROUGE, La. — A Fire Department spokesman said Tuesday that Monday’s train derailment in downtown Baton Rouge “could have been much worse” as workers finished the cleanup and investigators tried to determine why it happened.
“It took all night, but we’re back to normal,” said Howard Ward, a spokesman for the Baton Rouge Fire Department. “The tanker cars have been moved to a safe location.”
No one was injured when three railroad cars owned by Canadian National Railway Co. left the tracks in front of the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial & Museum, but some downtown streets were closed. The USS Kidd, the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, the Baton Rouge River Center, site of the American Bowling Congress tournament, and other businesses were evacuated.
Argosy Casino and Sheraton Hotel, however, were allowed to remain open because they were not in the immediate vicinity of the accident, fire officials have said.
Ward said that firefighters and the Fire Department’s Hazardous Material Division were pleased that a disaster had been averted.
“This could have been much worse,” Ward said.
The three tankers were carrying propylene oxide but all of cars remained intact when they rolled off the tracks.
“There were no leaks, we’re happy to report,” Ward said.
Propylene oxide is a volatile, flammable gas with a sweet odor that can cause severe skin irritation and burns. A known carcinogen, propylene oxide is used as a fumigant and in making lubricants, detergents and other chemicals, according to a list of hazardous chemicals published by the state of New Jersey.
Two large cranes were brought in as well as railroad company crews who worked under powerful lights to repair the tracks and lift the three tanker cars that toppled over. Three other tanker cars were left slightly ajar in the accident, officials said.
Just after midnight Tuesday, the cars had been righted, placed on the track and were headed to Canadian National’s railroad yard about a mile from the crash site.
Roads, businesses and the tracks were all reopened for business.
The Fire Department was prepared for the worse case scenario, though, Ward said.
“We train for these kinds of things,” Ward said. “We took all precautionary measures and we were working off of several plans.”
He also said the decision to evacuate and close businesses was one the Fire Department did not regret.
“We weren’t sure whether a leak would develop during the cleanup,” Ward said. “Then, we were concerned about safety when the heavy equipment was brought in.”
State Police, Baton Rouge Police and the state Department of Environmental Quality also worked the accident.
Canadian National investigators were trying to determine what caused the derailment.
“We’re still investigating, but it will probably be some time before we know what happened,” said Jim Kvedaras, a spokesman for the Canadian National.
Kvedaras said the accident happened as the 95-car train was headed to or headed back from a run between the company’s Baton Rouge railroad yard and Geismar, a Ascension Parish town with several industrial manufacturing companies.
“The train makes a regular run between Baton Rouge and Geismar,” Kvedaras said. “Then, once we are able to make a bigger train in our yard, it will leave again for other destinations outside of the state.”
The trains carrying hazardous materials on this section of track, which runs along the banks of the Mississippi River through downtown Baton Rouge, has caused some concern over the years.
“There has been discussion about that route because of the casino boats and other downtown businesses,” said JoAnne Moreau, director of Homeland Security in East Baton Rouge Parish. “It’s not new. It’s been a concern for a long time. It’s an area where there is one way in and one way out.”
The Memorial Day services were completed on the USS Kidd when the accident happened, said Maury Drummond, executive director of the USS Kidd.
“It was quite loud,” Drummond said Tuesday of the sound of the derailment. “It certainly got your attention.”
He said that visitors to the museum calmly evacuated the ship.
“There was no panic or anything. Everyone understood what happened,” Drummond said.
However, an eternal flame at the museum had to be doused — or turned off at the gas meter — as a precaution. Drummond said he doesn’t know when it will be relit.
“We still feel safe here,” Drummond said. “A derailment can happen anywhere and trains are a part of Baton Rouge.”