Evacuations Ordered After Texas Train Derailment - Possible Water Contamination

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Map of haze and smoke - Tyler, Texas

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Twenty eight cars, some carrying
chemicals, spilled over and caught fire when a train went off the
tracks Sunday afternoon near Chandler.  It happened right above the
Neches River. More than 500 people from nearby neighborhoods were
evacuated as a precaution.  

Not knowing what chemicals may
have spilled, when local fire departments arrived they immediatly
blocked off nearby roads.  Soon, a cloud of black smoke appeared in the
sky, smoke that just kept growing and growing.

"At this time
there is a fire," said Chandler Fire Chief Robert York.  "It's not a
very toxic chemical, but it is running into the lake. It's on fire on
land, and as it leaks into the water, it's heavier than water, so it is
extinguishing itself as it goes into the lake." Union Pacific says the
chemical is a lubricant oil, which officials say can be hazardous.

"It
is a skin irritant," said York. "You don't want to breathe it. It is a
lung irritant as well, so it can cause respiratory problems. There are
some cars that may be hazardous, but they are not in danger of the fire
at this time." With smoke blowing into nearby neighborhoods, local
officials say they were forced to evacuate around 500 people. Larry
Wickham lives right next to the railroad tracks. 

"There were
huge flames," said Larry Wickam, who lives near the derailment. "You
could see the flames leaping up some 15 to 16 feet at least, and it
looked like a box car was on fire." Right now, officials are not sure
what damages the chemicals caused to the environment, or how long it
will take to clean up. York says the situation could have been much
worse.

"It was headed into Chandler," said York. "A little
bit later, 15 to 20 seconds more it would have been up here in town,
and we would have a major problem.'   Local officials say no major
injuries were reported. Tyler city officials say they shut down the
Lake Palestine water treatment plant as a precaution, but say the water
from the Lake Tyler plant located on Golden Road is still being used.