United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region VI
POLLUTION REPORT



Date:
Friday, July 2, 2004
From:
Scott Harris, Ph.D.


Subject: 

POLREP #5
Macdona Union Pacific Train Derailment
7900 Nelson Road, Macdona, TX
Latitude: 29.3264000
Longitude: -98.6911000


POLREP No.:
5
Site #:
06TF
Reporting Period:
07/02/2004
D.O. #:
Start Date:
6/28/2004
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

The site is SW of San Antonio near Macdona, Bexar County, Texas.  Weather improved, sunny and hot.


Current Activities

Accompanied National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators on inspection of railcar.  By the time of that visit, site work had resulted in the removal of all cars and debris except for the chlorine car.  It had been relocated away from the track and was in neither its original position nor condition.  EPA was later able to provide NTSB with high resolution photos obtained by ASPECT during the initial hours of the incident and prior to any physical interventions.

Participated in daily press briefing. All briefings are coordinated by the Bexar County Public Information Officer (PIO).

Joint field team of additional Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) and Superfund Technical Assessment Response Team (START) conducted clearance inspections of additional evacuated residences.

Updated Incident Command Structure (ICS) to reflect personnel changes.

Unified Command (UC) reviewed UP Health & Safety Plan (HASP) for chlorine car patching operation. Revisions were proposed and accepted.

Requested dispersion modeling from CTEH for patching operational period. Wooden plugs were removed, and the hole was temporarily covered by a neoprene patch. The fabricated steel patch was modified for a custom fit. Jet pumps continued to pull negative pressure inside the car to prevent release of fugitive vapors.  Patch installation was completed at 2200 hours last night.

Caustic scrubber was brought online at 2100 hours last night.

24-hr air monitoring remains in place.

Recovery crews retrieved and disposed of animal carcasses following documentation of type and location.


Planned Removal Actions

Offloading and scrubbing of chlorine continues.


Next Steps

Meet with UC to discuss and resident return to home options.

Discuss exit strategy for state and federal resources.

Coordinate CTEH for continuing air monitoring.


Key Issues

Attended NTSB briefing at 0830 hrs.

Approval of revised HASP.


Estimated Costs *
  Budgeted Total To Date Remaining % Remaining
Extramural Costs
Intramural Costs
 
Total Site Costs $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 0.00%

* The above accounting of expenditures is an estimate based on figures known to the OSC at the time this report was written. The OSC does not necessarily receive specific figures on final payments made to any contractor(s). Other financial data which the OSC must rely upon may not be entirely up-to-date. The cost accounting provided in this report does not necessarily represent an exact monetary figure which the government may include in any claim for cost recovery.


response.epa.gov/macdonatrainderailment

POLREP #5 Last Updated 1/26/2005