United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region VI
POLLUTION REPORT


Date:
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
From:
Scott Harris, Ph.D.


Subject: 

POLREP #3
Macdona Union Pacific Train Derailment
7900 Nelson Road, Macdona, TX
Latitude: 29.3264000
Longitude: -98.6911000


POLREP No.:
3
Site #:
06TF
Reporting Period:
06/29/2004
D.O. #:
Start Date:
 
Response Authority:
CERCLA
Mob Date:
6/28/2004
Response Type:
Emergency
Demob Date:
 
NPL Status:
Non NPL
Completion Date:
 
Incident Category:
Removal Assessment
CERCLIS ID #:
Contract #
RCRIS ID #:
 

Site Description

Heavy rains have flooded roads and portions of the work area.  The site is SW of San Antonio in Macdona, Bexar County, Texas.


Current Activities

Implemented Incident Command Structure (ICS) with Unified Command (UC).  UC reviewed shelter-in-place versus evacuation for proposed chlorine car relocation. UC consensus is for preemptive evacuation of downwind area as determined by modeling one hour prior to the operation.

Continuous air monitoring and ground teams reporting no detectable Cl2 at any location away from Hotzone.  Concerns over rain and humidity effects on instruments dictated additional use of colormetric tubes.  No detections on tubes.

UC met at TCEQ command post to discuss plan for rail car relocation, public notification, evacuation, and air monitoring strategy.    

TCEQ confirms that free product diesel recovery was completed prior to rain event. Area was partially flooded but no product was reported lost.  

UP applied lime to site for acidity reduction.  Heavy work activity in limed areas produced sporadic particulate air releases that reportedly went offsite.  At request of TCEQ and EPA, UP implemented particulate air monitoring.


Planned Removal Actions

UC to met at TCEQ command post at 0500 hours June 30, 2004.  Air modeling will identify current downwind area.  Air monitoring teams will be deployed to identified 0600.  At 0600 emergency warning will be activated for residents in identified downwind area.  Evacuation to designated safe area.  UP and Red Cross will provide food and support for evacuated residents.  Chlorine car relocation will commence at approximately 0700.  Estimated operational period is three hours.  UP will complete track repairs and return to service.  Chlorine car will be offloaded over the following 24 to 36 hours.


Next Steps

UC will devise air monitoring strategy for offloading operations.

Devise exit strategy for Federal resources.  

Stand down ICS structure upon completion of operation.


Key Issues

Heavy rains impeded operations.

Heavy work activity in limed areas produced sporadic particulate and vapor air releases that reportedly went offsite.  At request of TCEQ and EPA, UP implemented particulate air monitoring.


response.epa.gov/macdonatrainderailment