Overview of Incident: At approximately 1540
hours on June 11, a southbound Norfolk Southern train derailed in Lancing,
Morgan County, Tennessee along the Emory River and several rail cars caught
fire. On-site assessment determined that 29 train cars derailed including 19
denatured ethanol cars (approximately 25,000 - 30,000 gallons of ethanol,
denatured with 1-5% gasoline per the safety data sheet). One of the 19 tank cars was quickly rerailed and moved offsite. Three of the denatured
ethanol cars were breached and were involved in the fire. Heavy smoke and
difficult terrain initially limited access to the site. In collaboration with
local first responders, Norfolk Southern mobilized hazardous material mitigation
personnel and contractors to respond to the derailment. As of Tuesday, June 16, the incident has been stabilized. All fires have been extinguished and the release of denatured ethanol to the Emory River has been secured.
State & Local Role: Local fire
departments and Morgan County Emergency Management Officials responded and
issued an evacuation order out of precaution for a one-mile radius around the
derailment. The evacuation order was lifted in the evening of June 11.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and Tennessee Department of
Environmental Conservation (TDEC) were on site. TEMA requested air monitoring
assistance from EPA Region 4, which indicated the area is safe for site workers and the community. TDEC notified facilities with water intakes
located downstream of the derailment, and appropriate precautions were taken to ensure no
public water supplies were put at risk.
EPA Actions: The EPA Telephone Duty Officer (TEL)
mobilized an On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) along with Superfund Technical
Assessment and Response Team (START) contractors to conduct air monitoring and
assist with environmental oversight of the response. TEL notified the U.S.
Department of Interior (DOI) who notified the National Park Service (NPS)
regarding potential impacts to the Obed River and Emory River. This incident
occurred in the inland zone and EPA is the lead federal OSC.
Response Contacts:
Morgan County EMA: (423) 346-1003, emermgmt@highland.net
TDEC Public Information Officer: Jennifer Donnals, jennifer.c.donnals@tn.gov
EPA Public Information Officer: Rosemarie Nelson, (404) 562-8728, nelson.rosemarie@epa.gov
Obed Wild and Scenic River: Christopher Durman, (423) 569 7329, Christopher_Derman@nps.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Damage Assessment: Brian Spears, (251) 284-5295, brian_spears@fws.gov
Norfolk Southern Public Information Officer: media.relations@nscorp.com
