Western Railroad Discussion > Colorado Joint Line Trains Stopped - Tank Car Leak

9News Denver reporting around 5:00 AM April 20, 2011 BNSF has a tank car hydrochloric acid leak at Monument, CO, prompting 250 homes to be evacuated. Leak was noted at 1:30 AM. Joint Line rail traffic stopped as Hazmat responders handle the situation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/11 04:35 by cozephyr.

Just heard people may be out of there homes for the next 48 hours

MONUMENT, Colo. -- A train is leaking hydrochloric acid at the intersection
of Wagon Gap Trail and Elk Valley Trail in Monument Wednesday. More than 250
homes are under a mandatory evacuation by police.

Police said the evacuation orders are for at least the next 48 hours.

A shelter has opened at Grace Best Elementary School at 66 N. Jefferson
Street in Monument. The shelter is also allowing pets, police said.

Police said 25,000 to 35,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid is leaking and it
will take 48 hours to off the load the acid.


"The 48 hour period was determined based on 25 to 30 gallons," said Sgt.Mike
Schaller of the El Paso County Sheriff's Department. "It's going to take
some time to off load all of that and with the temperature rising and high
winds there is a potential for a vapor cloud to disperse."

Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a
highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found
naturally in gastric acid.

Inhalation of vapors can cause coughing, choking, inflammation of the nose,
throat, and upper respiratory tract, and in severe cases, pulmonary edema,
circulatory failure, and death.

"Right now, our hazardous materials unit, along with members of the state
patrol hazmat unit are evaluating and assessing the situation on how to
remove the acid from the train car," said Schaller.

Officials said acid is still leaking but is contained.

A special firefighter crew from Fort Worth, Texas is flying in to handle the
situation.

Schools Closed

All Lewis-Palmer School District 38 schools are closed Wednesday because of
the spill. The district said staff should not report unless they were
contacted individually.

Monument Academy Charter Schools, Synthes in Monument and L.A.S.E.R. daycare
are also closed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/11 09:57 by skyview.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/04/20/chemical-spill-forces-evacuation-of-homes-in-monument/

Picture of it leaking.

When it clears northbounds in the hole at N Springs (empty UP potash with a pair of Ferromex's leading) and Academy and from Palmer Lake north parked grain train at sag, manifest at Greenland, empty cement behind and baretable at Larkspur. Nice variety. Nothing between Tomah and Littleton at this time.
JB

If one tank (not "tanker") car is leaking, that involves 17000-19000 gallons, not the 25000-30000 stated in the article.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

The article sez THE TRAIN was carrying 25000 to 30000 gals. Not this particular car.

Well, that doesn't work, either, because they don't fill those things half full (25-30K would be one-and-a-fraction cars). An updated article gave the same gallonage total, and made it clearer that it was allegedly from the one car. And once I saw the car number, I could check. I was off by a bit--capacity is in the neighborhood of 20,600 gallons.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

i see they had to get people out of the area.ive been saying that could happen on the tracks between seattle and the tracks north of edmonds WA,when they wont let amtrak or sounder trains through for 48 hours,but havs no problem letting trains with deadly stuff in tank cars go through.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110420/us_nm/us_colorado_acid

Line is reopened as first through train passed Palmer Lake northbound around 2200 hrs.
JB

cozephyr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 9News Denver reporting around 5:00 AM April 20,
> 2011 BNSF has a tank car hydrochloric acid leak at
> Monument, CO, prompting 250 homes to be evacuated.
> Leak was noted at 1:30 AM. Joint Line rail
> traffic stopped as Hazmat responders handle the
> situation.


Its just HCL, so I wonder why the large evacuation when 1-2 miles is fine? Now, if it was chlorine that is another phone call....