(The Southern Illinoisan posted the following story by Christi Mathis on its website on February 13.)
TAMAROA, Ill. — As experts discussed the cleanup of hazardous materials Wednesday and residents worried about their safety and wondered when they would go home, Brian Turney had just one thing on his mind.
“My dog. He’s still in our house,” the 5-year-old told Mike Chamness, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
Chamness ceased answering questions from media and residents to address Brian’s concerns about his dog, Scruffy. He assured the child the sheriff’s department would help the family rescue their beloved pet.
Within hours, Sheriff Keith Kellerman reunited Scruffy with the Turney family at the Du Quoin State Fairground.
“Oh, good!” Brian exclaimed as the 2-month-old chocolate Labrador ran toward his family.
Brian, his parents, Coy and Sherry Turney, and brothers, Robert, 7, and Adam, 2, live about three blocks northeast of where the train derailed. Coy said Brian has been crying for Scruffy every night at their temporary home in Du Quoin’s Super 8 Motel after the family was evacuated from their home Sunday.
Although the pup had been chained in his yard all this time, he was well cared for. Perry County sheriff’s Deputy Mike Plumlee and others have fed and watered Scruffy and other animals daily, even treating the dog to three ham and egg sandwiches Wednesday morning. The sheriff’s department has helped retrieve more than 100 animals since Sunday, and said all were alive and well.
The Turneys and hundreds of other Tamaroa residents got plenty of good news about their predicament Wednesday. Officials said the cleanup is progressing well and many people may be able to return sometime today.
Authorities also emphasized that extensive testing is under way, and so far has revealed no soil, water, air or other contamination to homes or property, even those close to the accident site.
Chamness said the volatile vinyl chloride has been removed from the damaged tank, while three other undamaged vinyl chloride cars have been loaded back onto the railroad tracks. Four damaged methanol tankers have been emptied, as has the damaged hydrochloric acid car, Chamness said.
“There is no sign of threat there to keep the (hazardous materials) people there,” Chamness said. The trained teams that had been assisting Hulcher Environmental Rail Services of Texas were sent home Wednesday afternoon.
Work began Wednesday afternoon to remove and replace contaminated soil in the immediate area of the crash site. After testing by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Department of Public Health assures that all contaminated soil is removed, new railroad tracks will be laid in the area. Then a half-dozen undamaged rail cars will be moved temporarily to a site about nine miles north of Tamaroa. The empty, damaged rail cars will then likely be cut up and hauled away.
At that point, which could be as early as this morning, officials said, more residents may be allowed to return home.
The initial evacuation of about 1,000 residents included a three-mile radius of the Canadian National Railroad crash site, but the zone shrank to one mile Tuesday afternoon.
Tamaroa Mayor Bill Place and other officials stressed there are no guarantees, and that they won’t let people return home until they are certain it is safe.
Air, soil, groundwater and property testing will continue indoors and out randomly throughout the village and at the specific request of homeowners to assure there is no contamination.