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 12th, operations recommenced. Under the direction of EPA, START performed a perimeter walk-through with the air monitors to check on worker safety. Once the initial readings were established, continuous monitoring was performed. START did find elevated readings of HCl near the overturned tanker. The moisture from the recent rain event and elevated humidity reacted with the HCl. The AreaRaes detected HCl vapors of greater than 15 ppm around the overturned HCl railcar.
With the latest air monitoring readings and a perimeter setup, FEC Railways were given the reassurance that they could continue working to set the overturned locomotives upright and put them back onto the train tracks; as this task was performed away from the HCl tanker. SWS (the company conducting the off-loading activities) readjusted their PPE to accommodate for the new HCl readings. SWS’s objective was to drain the remaining amount of HCl acid from the tank car. A dip-stick approach showed approximately 12-inches of product still left in the tanker. This depth of product equated to approximately 1000-gallons of HCl still left in the tanker. SWS, dressed in level-B, used a stinger and diaphragm pump to transfer the remaining HCl acid into four HDPE totes with a maximum capacity of 300-gallons each. The transferring of the product was completed during the morning of the 12th.
Further perimeter air monitoring was conducted and the results indicated that the presence of HCL in the air had been reduced to 0.
A debrief was held with the following Agencies: Florida East Coast Railway, SWS, EPA, and Palm Coast Fire Department. It was agreed that air monitoring activities would be transitioned to FECR's contractor SWS. SWS will use sensing tubes and at a minimum Level C PPE, while working in areas near or around the HCL rail car (for rail car decon). Palm Coast FR will continue to provide safety oversight via periodic safety visits, etc. FECR will continue the derailment recovery activities. Furthermore, FECR and their contractor Shaw Environmental will coordinate with FDEP personnel for soil/water contamination issues.
EPA and their contract support personnel demobed from the site the afternoon of May 12th.
On May 13th, OSC Russell contacted SWS personnel to discuss response operations and they advised that actions were moving forward accordingly and no health/safety or environmental issues had occurred since EPA demobed the site.
Soil/water assessment and removal actions will be conducted by Shaw Environmental on behalf of Florida East Coast Railway under the direction of FDEP/Bureau of Emergency Response personnel.
Once the debris field has been mitigated, environmental assessment and restoration actions will move forward under the direction of FDEP.
None at this time.
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