Train derails, tanker leaks near Sunny Glen
By MEGAN WILDE / The Big Bend Sentinel (2/28/08)
ALPINE – A westbound freight train derailed on the west side of Alpine just before midnight Tuesday.
The 124-car train was on its way to California from Louisiana when 86 railcars were suddenly derailed and some overturned alongside FM 1703 on the way to Sunny Glen, according to Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes. Amid the pileup, a few cars were carrying hazardous materials and one of those tankers busted open, Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson said.
Environmental Protection Agency staff and contractors reported to the scene Wednesday morning to investigate the tanker and begin the clean-up process. Agency spokesman Dave Bary said no hazardous materials were found, but the tanker did leak 3,500 gallons of mineral oil.
“It’s not considered to be a hazardous substance. However it could pose a threat to a waterway or aquatic life,” Bary said. “But it’s not hazardous in the sense that other chemicals may pose a hazard.”
Through Wednesday’s wee hours, while local authorities waited to find out more about the leaking tanker, about 65 Alpine residents were evacuated from less than 30 nearby homes as a precaution, the sheriff said. U.S. 90 was closed west of town and traffic coming from Marfa was rerouted to Alpine’s south side. The middle school temporarily closed and other Alpine ISD campuses waited for an all-clear to open. Emergency sirens sounded around Alpine at 6 a.m. so that residents would turn on the radio or TV and know to avoid traveling to or from Sunny Glen.
Around 10:30 a.m., after the leaked substance was identified, the highway reopened, kids were called to school, and the evacuation was lifted, Dodson said.
The railroad spokesman said the wreck blocked Union Pacific’s main line through the area and train traffic was being redirected. He was not sure how long it would take to clean up the train wreck.
“Obviously, with the involvement of tank cars and potential hazmat concerns, we’re going to do everything as safely and efficiently as possible,” Barnes said. “These are, in our industry, unfortunate incidents that occur.”
Dodson said no one was injured, and only a few fences and railroad property were damaged.
The cause of the accident was still unknown and under investigation at press time mid-day Wednesday.
Barney Nelson, a Sul Ross State University professor who lives off FM 1703 near Sunny Glen, said the train wreck just made her a little late to work Wednesday. Around 4:30 a.m. she started getting calls from friends that her neighborhood might be evacuated.
“I slept right through it. Didn’t hear anything,” she said. “And when I went out to finally come into town, there was no odor. It looked like another beautiful West Texas day.”