Approximately 26 cars and two locomotives derailed. One hazmat car containing hydrochloric acid was determined to be leaking onto the ground and fuming. Numerous cars are piled on top of the HCl car complicating response action. Some are 'auto rack' cars (rail cars carrying brand new automobiles). A high potential exists for oil discharge from the autos and locomotive. Brush fires abound in the rural wooded area. No residences within 1.25 miles. Local Fire and Hazmat teams from Flagler and St Johns Counties are leading response efforts. Jacksonville Fire and Hazmat also responding. FDEP SOSC Herndon Sims EPA OSC Chris Russell, and START personnel from OTIE are responding to assist with air and surface water monitoring and to ensure safe clean-up activity.
On May 11th, response actions continued. EPA contractor support personnel arrived on-site and began providing real-time air monitoring support utilizing Area Raes with HCL sensors, as well as hand held sensing tubes.
Crews from Bayer (owner of the HCL) assessed the rail car containing the hydrochloric acid and in consultation with their corporate environmental/safety representatives, determined that it's structural capacity was questionable and that moving the car was an imminent hazard. After being advised that an all-out resource search for tankers, tank cars, etc. had been conducted to allow for the safe off-loading of the material and that only one rail car had been located (it was located in an industrial park nearly adjacent to the derailment site)within a 12 - 18 hour on-site timeline, the Unified Command decided that it would be in the best interest of the workers and public's safety to go ahead and off-load the material to the referenced rail car.
After moving forward with the operations to conduct the off-loading procedures, it was discovered that approximately 19,000 gallons of the HCL in the rail car had ultimately been released into the environment and that only 1000 gallons of product remained (this was in direct conflict with the contractors report the day before indicating that the rail car was full. It appears that the contractor noted "vapors" at the top of the manway and mistook the vapors for actual product).
At that point, it was decided that removal actions for the removal of the remaining product should go forth. Unfortunately, severe weather moved into the area that afternoon and response operations had to cease due to severe weather conditions.
Remove the remaining product from the HCL rail car.
Continue to provide air monitoring support and conduct off-loading operations.
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