(The following appeared at KVAL.com on January 13.)
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — A railroad tanker car reportedly leaking a toxic chemical prompted evacuations from nearby businesses in Springfield, Ore., as firefighters responded to the scene Tuesday night.
The report from a railroad worker came in around 4:25 p.m. and prompted evacuations from lumber yards and nearby businesses.
Evacuees were allowed to go back to work by 6 p.m. as a hazardous materials crew completed its investigation.
“The HazMat team found a little bit of product that was around the top or the dome of the tank car,” said Craig Shelby with the Eugene Fire Department, which handled the HazMat response. “It was nothing that spilled out on the ground. It was just a litte seepage around the seal.”
The leak happend at lumber yards near 28th and F streets in Springfield, Ore. Firefighters got the call from Union Pacific Railroad around 4:25 p.m..
What is molten phenol?
The chemical, identified as molten phenol by the Springifeld Fire Department, can be hazardous to humans, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
“A 32-year-old man died 10 minutes after spilling a strong solution of phenol over his scalp, face, neck, shoulders, and back,” according to OSHA.
“An oral dose of 1 gram of phenol many be lethal to humans,” although much larger doses can be survived, the agency reports. “Roughly 50 percent of all reported cases have been fatal. Death may be rapid and usually results from respiratory failure.”
A wood products company near where the spill was reported uses phenol as an adhesive compound. Whether this particular tanker car was bound for that manufacturer, however, is not known.