(The following story by Rebecca Neal appeared on the Indianapolis Star website on January 16.)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Marion County Health Department workers are testing water in all of the wells identified near the Jan. 6 train derailment site.
The Health Department will test 14 wells this week in the area surrounding the derailed trains at Girls School Road on Indianapolis’ Far Westside.
“We think we have got everyone in our target area, including some people we heard from who were not in our target area but wanted testing for their peace of mind,” said spokesman John Althardt.
The Health Department and Arcadis, a contractor hired by CSX, will conduct separate tests. Results will be available in about two weeks.
“Independent tests are being conducted, so people can feel confidence in those results,” he said.
More than 30 cars derailed about 3 a.m. Jan. 6 at Girls School Road when a train from Buffalo, N.Y., slammed into runaway cars that had broken loose from the Avon Big Four Yard. The accident injured two CSX employees.
The Wayne Branch of Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, which had been closed since the accident, reopened Monday. The library, which is adjacent to the crash site, had closed as crews used its parking lot as a staging area. Trucks and equipment still remain on the back portion of the lot.
“As soon as the doors opened, they have been very, very busy,” said Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library spokesman Jon Barnes. “The phones are just ringing constantly.”
Girls School Road at the railroad is still closed — with no timetable for reopening — and much of the library’s parking lot is taken up by contractors’ vehicles.
Barnes said fines will be waived for materials due from Jan. 5 to Monday, but they need to be returned as soon as possible. Materials being held at the library will be kept until Tuesday, he said.
Residents aired their complaints about the wreck at a meeting Friday night at Wayne Township Fire Department headquarters. Several complained about emotional distress and said they wish they had been better notified.
“Nobody knocked on the door to ask if everything was OK. My son is so terrified he won’t leave his room,” said Eric Fuqua Jr. “I haven’t slept in five days.”
One resident asked about the safety of drinking well water and called for CSX to provide bottled water until the test results are back. Pam Thevenow of the Health Department said the testing is just a precaution.
“Groundwater doesn’t move that fast,” said Thevenow, water quality and hazardous materials management administrator. “You could use bottled water, but I don’t think I can ask you not to shower.”
Tom Drake of CSX’s office of public and government affairs said the company would reimburse public agencies and cover all cleanup costs.
“Investigators are still reconstructing the steps and the sequence of events that allowed this to happen,” he said. “Clearly a set of cars were not secured the way they should have been.”
IDEM officials estimate about 1,900 gallons of diesel fuel spilled, along with about 27,000 gallons of soybean oil, 21,000 gallons of lubricating oil and about 1,000 gallons of fertilizer.