The Painesville CSX site is an emergency response to a train derailment that resulted in a fire. At the request of the Lake County Health Department, and in response to National Response Center report # 851242, U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA have responded to the site and are providing on site support to local incident command. The cause of the derailment is currenly unknown and occurred at approximately 12 noon.
Approximately 550 residents (30 homes) remain within a 1/4 mile radius remain evacuated. Nearby elementary schools remain closed, as well. It is unknown when the evacuation will be lifted.
Approximately 30 railcars were involved in the derailment. Of those, eight (8) of them contained a flammable materials (ethanol, propane). In addition, Phthalic Anhydride was found to be contained in one of the rail cars and observed to be on fire.
At 2235 on October 1O, Incident Command was advised by CSX that one of the rail cars contained Pthalic Anhydride and was on fire. Phthalic Anhydride is a skin irritant and inhalation hazard. Currently, the fire has been reduced, but a few cars are being allowed to continue to burn in a controlled manor.
Only one railcar contains propane, but it is not near the flames. This car is not under pressure and at this time does not pose a threat of explosion.
The plume intensity has dissipated, but continues to be monitored and sampled by CTEH and USEPA.
See previous polreps for additional information.
At 2230, additional information became available confirming that 1 tanker car involved in the fire contained phthalic anhydride. Phthalic anhydride when in contact with water, rapidly hydrolyzes resulting in a phthalic acid. EPA and CSX resources had appropriate monitoring equipment and did not detect apparent hazards in the plume (more information below).
At approximately midnight, OSC Brian Schlieger relieved OSC Joe Fredle to cover the night shift. OSC Fredle will be back on scene this morning.
At approximately 0200, on October 11, 2007, CSX Contractor CTEH collected two grab air samples from downwind of the fire inside the smoke plume across at the Route 44, in an adjacent industrial park, and immediately adjacent to the fire. CTEH has also set four sample locations at which a 24-hour grab air sample and a Area-RAE are placed. The sample locations are set in close proximity to the fire. Air samples are being analyzed for volatile organics. Analytical results are expected to be available from the CTEH laboratory on Thursday afternoon. Four AreaRAEs and 1 multiRAE stations have been established in areas downwind in a cross-sectional pattern around the fire to accommodate for wind shift variation.
U.S. EPA contractors collected 2 grab, SUMMA air samples downwind of the fire, on Route 44 and the intersection of Blaze Road and Nemeth Roads several miles from the derailment where the plume was noted near the ground surface. To date, no readings above background have been obtained on multigas MultiRAEs, dragers and AreaRAEs at the perimeter locations.
The train cars were still involved in the fire and CSX contractor RJ Corman was staging equipment to begin to remove the rail cars from the tracks.
Ohio EPA and contractors have constructed two dams on two small unnamed streams downstream and north of the train derailment to prevent the runoff from fire fighting efforts from moving downstream to Mentor Marsh and Lake Erie.
As of 1000, fire departments are allowing the remainder of the material to burn off and to prevent additional runoff from entering the streams. The fire at the derailment site has diminished; however the evacuations are still in place. Roads in the imediate area are closed to traffic in order to prevent access to the response area.
Oversee responsible party cleanup of hazardous substances.
Continue assessment of air and water impacts from the scene. U.S. EPA is coordinating air monitoring efforts and Ohio EPA is coordinating creek response efforts.
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