The site is SW of San Antonio near Macdona, Bexar County, Texas. Weather remains sunny and hot, and the site has become dusty. Wind is from the SE at 5.8 miles per hour. There is a 30% chance of rainfall tonight.
No offsite chlorine detections have been noted for days.
Chlorine offload continues into frac tanks. Tanker loads of reacted chlorine are leaving the site to be processed by Oxy. Portable polyvinyl storage tanks are in-place to store reacted chlorine solution (sodium hypochlorite) awaiting transport.
Union Pacific (UP) reports that the chlorine level in the tank car is approximately 14.5 inches, based on thermal imaging.
Salamander heaters are being used on the head of the tank car to promote chlorine vaporization.
UP staff indicated that the chlorine transfer rate will slow as the volume and surface area are reduced in the railcar. UP took three jet pumps offline for maintenance due to corrosion and salt accumulation. Pumps were back online by evening.
UC met to discuss progress. No significant issues. Minor chlorine release at approximately 1430. AreaRae instrumentation located approximately 75 feet from tank car detected readings between 2 and 7 ppm.
Site salvage operations have begun and are expected to be completed within 21 days.
NTSB has requested that the entire chlorine tank car be released to their possession upon decontamination.
TCEQ and START continue to monitor site activities and evaluate site environmental recovery activities.
Continuous air monitoring by START and CTEH remains in effect.
TCEQ is coordinating removal of contaminated material.
Five residences remain evacuated. Two of those remain locked and cannot be entered by clearance teams. The occupants remain hospitalized from chlorine exposure.
Chlorine offload continues. The operation may take several more days, based on the decreased rate of vapor production.
UP plans to empty the tank of all chlorine, air sparge for several hours, and rinse with a caustic solution. Then they will cut up the tank on-site and begin analysis of stuctural failure due to impact.
Awaiting data delivery by CTEH.
Rattlesnakes remain a threat.
Continue air monitoring.
Continue ongoing information collection from CTEH.
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