From the desk of Pat Call .....

Conty Email | Pat Call

[SandRat]

Just a quick note ...

We are recieving information concerning a train derailment and a sulfuric acid spill approximtely seven miles south of Naco, Sonora, earlier today. Apparently a small wooden bridge over a wash collapsed. At this point the spill is not thought to be a danger to the waters of the San Pedro river and there are no reports of casualities. I have no additional information at this time

Below is the report from Mario Novoa, the Douglas Fire chief.

Pat.

"... HazMat techs from Nogales Sonora are in route to the scene of a train derailment in the area of Naco and Cananea Sonora - approximately 7 miles south of the US border. The incident commander on scene is Ivan Valeria from Cananea, Sonora.

The agencies involved are: firefighters and proteccion civil from Cananea, Agua Prieta and Naco Mexico.

All railroad cars are facing toward Cananea, Sonora. There is a collapsed wood bridge which caused the detrailment of 12 rail cars of sulfuric acid. Four of the cars have ruptured and two of them are already empty. Each rail car contains 90,000 liters of the acid. At this time we have reports that the acid has traveled approximately 800 meters close to the communities of Cauthemoc and Zaragoza townships.

Reports at this time are that crews are waiting for heavy equipment to help dike the acid and they are also waiting for lime to neutralize the acid."

[davidmmorgan]

The train wreck and sulfuric acid spill, about 10 miles southwest of Naco [at Ejido Cuauhtémoc, about 25 miles by car], appears to be well under control. At the site FerroMex environmental engineer Humberto Martinez said Saturday it was fortunate that there were no rains since the bridge collapse which caused the derailing of a dozen tank cars. Nearly 300 tons of alkaline have been spread in the wash area to neutralize the effect of an estimated 150,000 liters [about 40,000 gallons] of acid spilled from 4 damaged rail cars. Additional reports to follow, Cochise County Record.