On 30 June, 2004, the National Response Center (NRC) notified EPA Region 6 (EPA) of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train derailment in a semi-rural area south of Ardmore, Love County, Oklahoma. According to BNSF representatives, the 119-car train was traveling south from Kansas to Temple, Texas, when a load of steel I-beams on a railcar became unstable and dislodged a single I-beam off the car. The I-beam was believed to then fall between the cars, puncturing the end of a tank car of anhydrous dimethylamine (DMA) and further causing the derailment. The punctured car then blew out and caught fire at the puncture site, causing a gash about 2 feet in diameter. A large plume of smoke from the fire was reported, but local rains helped to knock down much of the plume by 0730 hours. There were no other cars of hazardous materials on the train, and all other derailed cars were either empty or carried goods such as paper and lumber. The site is located on the southern edge of Ardmore, in the small community of Overbrook. A creek immediately adjacent to the site flows south to Hickory creek, which flow to Lake Texoma. Heavy rains during the night and morning had swollen the creek and other nearby waterways, causing minor flooding in the area and hampering clean up efforts.
The Greenville/Overbrook Volunteer Fire Department (GOFD) responded immediately to the incident, and began to secure the scene and evacuate nearby residents at 0230 hours. Approximately 100 residents were evacuated over a two mile radius. BNSF also mobilized its hazmat team and multiple contractors immediately to the site. OSC Franklin and the EPA Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) mobilized to the site to assist with air monitoring and to conduct on-scene monitoring. Other agencies responding to the incident included the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Love County Emergency Management. Due to reports of a plume from the derailment threatening to cross into Texas, representatives from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) also responded.
Refer to POLREP 1 for past activities.
On 2 July 2004, the rail car continued to burn. BNSF contractors removed part of the outer jacket of the rail car and began to use propane burners underneath to speed up the burning process. BNSF and START contractors continued to conduct perimeter air monitoring around the rail car and in surrounding areas, but no DMA or its combustion products were detected.
On 3 July 2004, the rail cart continued to burn. BNSF contractors removed the bulk head outter shield and placed a propane heater at the punctured end of the rail car to further speed the burning process. At 1510 the fire was extinguished and contractors began to fill the rail car with water. The rail car was filled at 1820.
BNSF will remove the rail car and contents when the soil dries and is able to support vac trucks and other heavy equipment. BNSF will continue to coordinate with the landowner.
Water product in tank is considered to be stable.
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