(The following story by Rebecca Neal appeared on the Indianapolis Star website on January 9.)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. —‘ Heavy rains today slowed cleanup of spilled chemicals on Indianapolis’ Far Westside after a weekend train accident.
Rain is a concern for crews working to contain chemicals and prevent runoff, said Amy Hartsock, spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
“They installed additional dams in case of an increased flow due to rain. They also added more storage should volumes (of chemicals and water) increase,” she said.
Crews are working around-the-clock to remove 69,700 gallons of soybean oil, 21,000 gallons of lubricating oil, 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel and 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of fertilizer spilled when two trains collided early Sunday near Girls School Road.
Removing fertilizer from the soil and nearby Julia Creek remains the department’s top priority, Hartsock said.
Crews have trucked away a few thousand pounds of powdered sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash, from several broken rail cars.
More than 30 rail cars derailed when a train bound from Buffalo, N.Y., slammed into runaway cars that had broken loose from the Avon rail yards. Two CSX employees were injured.
CSX spokesman Garrick Francis said all of the damaged cars have been removed. Crews will now work on the damaged track, he said.
Girls School Road likely will remain closed for several more days, said Wayne Township Fire Department spokesman Capt. Troy Wymer.
Employees from the Marion County Health Department will go door to door Wednesday and the rest of the week in neighborhoods near the wreck looking for residents still using well water. Risk of contamination is minimal, but spokesman John Althardt said testing is essential.
“Going door to door is purely precautionary, but it gives us an opportunity to meet folks and address their questions or concerns about the accident,” he said.
Detouring around the closed stretch of Girls School Road posed some problems for Wayne Township school buses today, the first day back for students from winter break. Bus drivers reported heavy congestion on side roads due to the detour, but no buses were late to the schools as a result, said Tom Langdoc, director of school and community services for Wayne Township Schools.