(The following story by Bill Petroski appeared on the Des Moines Register website on September 24.)
DES MOINES, Iowa — An all-clear signal has been given in Oskaloosa, where a railroad tanker car leaked a small amount hydrochloric acid this morning, said a spokesman for the Union Pacific Railroad.
There were no injuries and no derailments. An evacuation of the surrounding area was lifted about 1:35 pm.
“What we have determined is that a small amount of hydrochloric acid was released from one of our customers’ tank cars,” said UP spokesman James Barnes in Omaha. “The chemical obviously is corrosive in nature….We are investigating how and why there was a release. We will be investigating with local authorities as well.”
He said people are being allowed to return to their homes, classes and jobs.
“We greatly appreciate the responsiveness of Oskaloosa police and fire authorities and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. When these types of incidents occur, we feel it is better to error on the side of caution. We are thankful that there were no injuries to people or any damage as a result of this incident.”
He said a railroad environmental services specialist is on the scene and is cooperating with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and other agencies in the investigation.
The evacuation occurred in northwest Oskaloosa, extending about six blocks north and six blocks east of the incident.
Police say William Penn University and Oskaloosa Christian School were evacuated and authorities went door-to-door to evacuate nearby residents. They also say a hazardous materials team from Ottumwa is on the way.
Barnes said no one had been injured, and the exact type of chemical that was leaking had not been determined.
The leak was reported at 10:26 a.m.
“Apparently there was an unknown quantity of vapor that emanated from one of the tank cars. As a precautionary measure, the county emergency services made the determination to order an evacuation of residents in the area,” Barnes said.
A derailment did not occur on the Union Pacific tracks, Barnes said.