Posted on 05/27/2002 9:35:13 PM PDT by cgk
MAY 28, 00:12 ET
Town of 2,200 Emptied for Derailment
POTTERVILLE, Mich. (AP) — A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed, and officials ordered the evacuation of the town of 2,200 people.
The train was carrying liquid propane and sulfuric acid when 35 of its 58 cars derailed Monday, the Eaton County Sheriff's Department said. Nine of the derailed cars were carrying propane and two others contained sulfuric acid.
One car was spewing fuel, another had a steady leak, and a third may have been punctured, said Sheriff Rick Jones. He said any spark or surge of electricity could ignite the cars.
Each propane car contained 34,000 gallons of propane gas, which is considered an extreme fire and explosive hazard, the sheriff's department said.
The derailment occurred within yards of a mobile home park and subdivision.
Dozens of police and fire officials used bull horns and went door-to-door trying to clear the town and shut down all entrances to the city. The Michigan Department of Transportation shut down both highway exits to Potterville off Interstate 69, as well sections of other roads.
``Nothing like this has ever happened here, there's no way you can plan for this,'' said Benton Township-Potterville Fire Capt. T.J. Richardson.
The train belongs to Grand Trunk, a subsidiary of Canadian National railroad.
Residents with nowhere else to go were given food and water at the sheriff's office. More than 90 people and 17 volunteers were at the shelter, but several left after learning Canadian National would reimburse residents for hotel rooms.
A highway was closed near Potterville, which is about 12 miles southwest of Lansing. Officials also cut off electricity to most of the town.
All Potterville schools would be closed Tuesday, the sheriff's department said.
A cause of the derailment had not been determined as of Monday night, Canadian National spokesman Ian Thomson said.
Investigators from the train company began investigating Monday and officials from Canada-based Young Environmental Systems Inc. were working to move the cars.
Mrs Kus
Wow, that is a lot! That could make for a hell of a fire or a big bang.
The red star marks the town where it derailed... SW of Lansing. I'm not familiar with where Dearborn is on this map...
Mrs Kus
Mrs Kus
It's the hazmat derailments that really concern me.
Mrs Kus
"The Superconductor"
A copy of this picture was given to President Bush on 5-26-02....why did this happen and what did he know?!!!!!!!
Perhaps his top-notch National Security Adviser has done an investigation.
Maybe the FBI knows how many trains wrecks have happened in the last 10 years.
Could be that the CIA will track down how many train wrecks have happened abroad.
Hopefully, someone in charge will connect the dots and see that Islamic Terrorists are causing train wrecks.
But, I wont hold my breath!
Mrs Kus
Mrs K
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