(The following story by John C. Stevenson appeared on The Greenville News website on June 11, 2010.)
LIBERTY – After 436 residents were allowed to return to their homes following an initial evacuation near a 24-car train derailment and chemical spill Thursday, an estimated 100 of them were asked to leave again late today before workers began to right a damaged rail car carrying another hazardous chemical.
A dozen Norfolk Southern rail cars had been righted by late afternoon, said Lynn Fisher, director of Pickens County Emergency Management. Sheriff’s deputies were knocking on doors of residents in an area including parts of Old Norris and Norman streets, Griffin Circle, Griffin Court and Marigold Lane.
The new round of concern was due to a slightly damaged rail car carrying toulene diisocyanate, a volatile, flammable and potentially toxic substance that can cause breathing issues, Fisher said.
The damage to the rail car appeared to be on an outer shell and the container was well built and not leaking, Fisher said. The new evacuation was ordered as a precaution. There had been no injuries in the first 24 hours following the 4:34 p.m. derailment Thursday, and Fisher wanted to keep it that way.
Officials reported Thursday that 16 cars had derailed, and as workers began to sort through the twisted wreckage the number grew to 24.
The county and Norfolk Southern are reimbursing displaced residents for lodging and meals.
Jennifer Woods, county public information officer, said Thursday’s evacuation order was lifted around midnight for all but 11 homes, and by around 1:30 a.m., those homes were cleared as well.
She said the county or Norfolk Southern officials would be on hand this morning at the Rosewood Center, 429 E. Main St., Liberty, to reimburse residents who spent money Thursday evening on food or hotels because they could not get into their homes.
“They were told last night that if they needed to sleep in a hotel, by all means go to a hotel and keep the receipt, and we’re providing the process this morning for them to be reimbursed,” Woods said.
The rest of the news this morning was equally encouraging. Woods said the derailment posed no threat to the area’s drinking water, there were no injuries or casualties and Norfolk Southern was working toward quickly clearing the tracks.
By 11 a.m. Friday, nine cars had been removed.
“Their goal is to get the other cars off the track, even if that means in the ditch, get them off the track and get the track rebuilt and get trains moving through that area while they’re finishing the clean-up,” Woods said.
A part of Old Norris Road, from Farmers Hill Road to Norman Street, remains closed this morning, Woods said.
Norfolk-Southern is expected to release around noon today a more-detailed timeline for complete cleanup, she said.