2012 Paulsboro train derailment

Last updated
2012 Paulsboro train derailment
Paulsboro aerialIMG 0441 (12816143035).jpg
Derailed tank cars fallen in Mantua Creek, Paulsboro, New Jersey
2012 Paulsboro train derailment
Location of the derailment
Details
DateNovember 30, 2012;11 years ago (2012-11-30)
2:50 p.m. EST (UTC−4)
Location Paulsboro, New Jersey
Coordinates 39°50′05″N75°14′12″W / 39.834609°N 75.236786°W / 39.834609; -75.236786
CountryUnited States
Operator Norfolk Southern and Conrail
Incident type Derailment
CauseFailure of the Jefferson Street Bridge

On November 30, 2012, a daily freight train running on Conrail Shared Assets Operations Penns Grove Secondary derailed in Paulsboro, a borough with an industrial and maritime economy, in Gloucester County, New Jersey. As a result, vinyl chloride from one car leaked into the air. [1] In 2023 several news reports drew parallels between this derailment and the 2023 Ohio train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which also involved release of vinyl chloride. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Background

The accident happened when Jefferson Street Bridge, a swing bridge built in 1873 and jointly owned by Conrail and Norfolk Southern over Mantua Creek, failed to operate on November 30, 2012. Witnesses living adjacent to the tracks said that the accident happened at 2:50 am; the team said that derailment happened around 7:00 am. [7] [8] [9] Seven cars of the 84-car consist derailed. [10] Four tanker cars containing vinyl chloride fell into the creek; one tank was breached. As a result, the tank leaked about 23,000 gallons of the gas into the air. [11]

Vinyl chloride is used to make adhesives, polyvinyl chloride, plastics and other chemicals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the chemical as having an odor that can be described as sweet and mild. Low levels of exposure can cause sleepiness and dizziness. Higher level exposure can cause people to pass out or die. Long term exposure has been linked to liver cancer, and possibly lung, brain and some blood cancers. [12] [4]

Results

A voluntary and limited evacuation zone was created. Nearby schools were ordered to take shelter and seal off their buildings. At around 7:00 pm a new evacuation order was given. An estimated 500 to 700 people in a 12-mile radius of the site evacuated. People were told to pack for three days and then were transported to hotels in the area. About 70 people were treated at Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury for exposure to the vinyl chloride, of which 60 were hospitalized. [8] [13] [14] [4] [11]

Thousands of Paulsboro residents sued Conrail, the operator of the bridge over Mantua Creek. [15] In subsequent interviews residents alleged that Conrail paid them off to prevent them from seeking more money in the event that they developed illnesses later. [6]

Equipment damages were estimated at $451,000. Emergency responses and remediation costs totaled about $30 million. [1]

The bridge had an earlier history of trouble. At around 3:00 am, on August 23, 2009, a coal train derailed; however, no cars fell off. [16] [17]

Political controversies

Responding to the immediate after-effects of the accident was the Unified Command response team. This group consisted of representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the Paulsboro Fire Department and Conrail. However, the New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney gave the response team an "F." Sen. Sweeney asserted that the team delayed scheduling public meetings, and that the team issued conflicting and confusing orders in the wake of the derailment. Additionally, area residents criticized Governor Chris Christie for giving inadequate attention to Paulsboro's environmental problems and that he concentrated more of his attention on Hurricane Sandy (which struck New Jersey on October 28–29). They complained that he did not visit Paulsboro and that instead he sent Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. [12]

Area Congressional Representatives Rob Andrews (NJ 1st-D) and Frank LoBiondo (NJ 2nd-R) visited the area and expressed concern and surprise that federal, state or local laws require public oversight of private safety inspection procedures. [12]

Following the incident, Congressman Andrews criticized policies that may have led to the accident. He said that it was time to end the railroads' "culture of self-regulation . . . . We've got to come up with a sensible set of regulations." He also criticized the Unified Command's operation as confusing and ineffective. "When everyone's in charge, no one's in charge." Andrews also said that he expected Congress to hold hearings on the causes of the derailment and the response. [7]

Legacy

NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman at December 3, 2012 press hearing on the derailment. Chairman Hersman briefs media in Paulsboro (12816560904).jpg
NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman at December 3, 2012 press hearing on the derailment.

The National Transportation Safety Board in a public hearing faulted the first responders for their actions. The investigators said that local authorities did not follow standard procedures for cleaning a chemical spill and that first responders were not provided proper breathing apparatuses, even though monitors indicated unsafe levels of chemicals in the air. They said that this led to further exposure of the first responders and the public to the vinyl chloride gas. Paulsboro police reported the gas as non-toxic, even after fire officials learned that the gas was highly flammable and dangerous to breathe. [18]

In March 2013, Conrail announced that the bridge would be replaced with an expected September 2014 operational date. Normally, between March 1 and November 30 the bridge would be left in the open position for maritime traffic and closed when trains approach. It remained locked in the closed position until the bridge was replaced. [19] [20] The new bridge opened in March 2015. [21]

Prior to this incident, railroads had different protocols for transporting dangerous chemicals. This incident was followed by more railroads adopting federal guidelines for transporting such chemicals. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosgene</span> Toxic gaseous compound (COCl2)

Phosgene is an organic chemical compound with the formula COCl2. It is a toxic, colorless gas; in low concentrations, its musty odor resembles that of freshly cut hay or grass. It can be thought of chemically as the double acyl chloride analog of carbonic acid, or structurally as formaldehyde with the hydrogen atoms replaced by chlorine atoms. Phosgene is a valued and important industrial building block, especially for the production of precursors of polyurethanes and polycarbonate plastics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulsboro, New Jersey</span> Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, US

Paulsboro is a borough situated on the banks of the Delaware River within Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,196, an increase of 99 (+1.6%) from the 6,097 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn had reflected a decline of 63 (−1.0%) from the 6,160 counted in the 2000 census. Paulsboro and surrounding Gloucester County constitute part of South Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Palestine, Ohio</span> Village in Ohio, United States

East Palestine is a village in northeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,761 at the 2020 census. Located on the state's border with Pennsylvania, East Palestine is about 20 miles (32 km) south of Youngstown and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Pittsburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CSX Transportation</span> Class I railroad system in the US

CSX Transportation, known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles (34,000 km) of track, it is the leading subsidiary of CSX Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinyl chloride</span> Chemical compound

Vinyl chloride is an organochloride with the formula H2C=CHCl. It is also called vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) or chloroethene. This colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Vinyl chloride monomer is among the top twenty largest petrochemicals (petroleum-derived chemicals) in world production. The United States remains the largest vinyl chloride manufacturing region because of its low-production-cost position in chlorine and ethylene raw materials. China is also a large manufacturer and one of the largest consumers of vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a flammable gas that has a sweet odor and is carcinogenic. It can be formed in the environment when soil organisms break down chlorinated solvents. Vinyl chloride that is released by industries or formed by the breakdown of other chlorinated chemicals can enter the air and drinking water supplies. Vinyl chloride is a common contaminant found near landfills. Before the 1970s, vinyl chloride was used as an aerosol propellant and refrigerant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Southern Railway</span> American railway company

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The company operates 19,420 route miles (31,250 km) in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia, and has rights in Canada over the Albany to Montreal route of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City. Norfolk Southern Railway is the leading subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graniteville train crash</span> 2005 train crash in South Carolina, United States

The Graniteville train crash was an American rail disaster that occurred on January 6, 2005, in Graniteville, South Carolina. At roughly 2:40 am EST, two Norfolk Southern trains collided near the Avondale Mills plant in Graniteville. Nine people were killed and over 250 people were treated for toxic chlorine exposure. The crash was determined to be caused by a misaligned railroad switch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weyauwega, Wisconsin, derailment</span> 1996 train accident in Wisconsin, U.S.

The Weyauwega derailment was a railroad accident that occurred in Weyauwega, Wisconsin, United States, in the early morning hours of March 4, 1996. The derailed train was carrying a large quantity of hazardous material, which immediately caught fire. The fire, which involved the train cars and an adjacent feed mill, burned for more than two weeks after the actual derailment, resulting in the emergency evacuation of 2,300 people for 18 days, including the entire city of Weyauwega, with about 1,700 evacuees.

The Chemical Coast is a section of Union and Middlesex counties in New Jersey located along the shores of the Arthur Kill, across from Staten Island, New York. The name is taken from the Conrail Chemical Coast Line, an important component in the ExpressRail system serving marine terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Mantua Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Mantua Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Mantua Creek's headwaters are near Glassboro, flowing northwest for 18.6 miles to the Delaware River at the Port of Paulsboro in Paulsboro across from present-day Philadelphia International Airport.

The Port of Paulsboro is located on the Delaware River and Mantua Creek in and around Paulsboro, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, approximately 78 miles (126 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. Traditionally one of the nation's busiest for marine transfer operations, notably for crude oil and petroleum products, such as jet fuel and asphalt, it is a port of entry with several facilities within a foreign trade zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DOT-111 tank car</span> North American tank car for rail transport

In rail transport, the U.S. DOT-111 tank car, also known as the TC-111 in Canada, is a type of unpressurized general service tank car in common use in North America. Tank cars built to this specification must be circular in cross section, with elliptical, formed heads set convex outward. They have a minimum plate thickness of 716 inch (11.1 mm) and a maximum capacity of 34,500 US gallons. Tanks may be constructed from carbon steel, aluminum alloy, high alloy steel, or nickel plate steel by fusion welding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penns Grove Secondary</span>

Penns Grove Secondary is a rail freight line in the Delaware Valley in the southwestern part of New Jersey. Part of Conrail's South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets it runs for approximately 20 miles (32 km) between its southern terminus at Penns Grove and Woodbury at the north where it joins the Vineland Secondary about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of Pavonia Yard in Camden. At its southern end the Deepwater Point Running Track continues another 3.7 miles (6 km) through Carneys Point to Deepwater.

The 2015 Tennessee train derailment occurred on July 2, 2015. A CSX Transportation train derailed at Maryville, Tennessee. The train was carrying toxic chemicals, leading to an evacuation of over 5,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Jersey Port Corporation</span> Independent port authority

South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) is an independent public port authority which operates the ports along the eastern banks of Delaware River in the Delaware Valley region of southern New Jersey in the United States. Based in Camden, SJPC was founded in 1928 and changed its name in 1968. It maintains facilities at the Port of Camden, the Port of Paulsboro, and the Port of Salem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment</span> Disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S.

A train derailment occurred on February 3, 2023, at 8:55 p.m. EST (UTC−5), when 38 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, United States. Several railcars burned for more than two days, with emergency crews then conducting a controlled burn of several railcars, which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air. As a result, residents within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius were evacuated, and an emergency response was initiated from agencies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia.

At 4:25 pm on July 8, 1986, a 44 car Baltimore and Ohio railroad freight train, traveling at 45 miles per hour, bound south to Cincinnati, derailed near Miamisburg, Ohio, a small city with an industrial history in Montgomery County, southwest of Dayton. Fifteen of the cars derailed on a bridge; these were tank cars containing yellow phosphorus, molten sulfur and tallow. Carrying a chemical used to make rat poison, fireworks and luminescent coatings, one tank car caught fire. This resulted in emission of an estimated 1,000 foot (300 m) high cloud of phosphorus. A subsequent incident caused the largest train accident-triggered evacuation at the time in the United States. The accident was the second major rail disaster in Miamisburg within an eight-year period. On September 10, 1978, 15 cars of a Conrail train derailed.

On June 30, 1992, a Burlington Northern Railroad freight train derailed on a bridge over the Nemadji River at the southern edge of town of Superior, Wisconsin. The derailment resulted in a liquid benzene spill into the river. The fumes from the spill led to an evacuation of an estimated 80,000 residents from the town of Superior, the city of Superior and Duluth, Minnesota, apparently the largest evacuation in U.S. history resulting from a train accident.

References

  1. 1 2 "Conrail Freight Train Derailment with Vinyl Chloride Release". NTSB. 29 July 2014. NTSB Number: RAR1401. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  2. "East Palestine train derailment compares to 2012 incident in New Jersey". WKBN.com. 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  3. "N.J. derailment could be crystal ball for East Palestine residents". WKBN.com. 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Laughlin, Jason. "Ohio train derailment involves same chemical that was released in the Philly region a decade ago". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  5. Rodas, Steven (2023-02-19). "It can happen in N.J. Advocates sound alarm as toxic Ohio train derailment reignites issue". nj.com. NJ Advance Media. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  6. 1 2 "NJ victims warn East Palestine, Ohio train wreck residents". 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  7. 1 2 "Congress expects deeper look at Paulsboro train derailment". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  8. 1 2 "Ancient, Rickety Railroad Bridge Caused Toxic Spill, Dozens Say". CNBNews. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  9. "Freight Train Derails, Spills Chemicals In Paulsboro, NJ". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  10. "NTSB Paulsboro report faults training adequacy". Railway Age. August 29, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "A Train Derails in Paulsboro, N.J., Releasing 23,000 Gallons of Toxic Vinyl Chloride Gas | response.restoration.noaa.gov". response.restoration.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  12. 1 2 3 Nurin, Tara (17 December 2012). "Official Response to Paulsboro Chemical Spill Outrages Some Residents" . Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  13. "Freight Train Derails, Spills Chemicals In Paulsboro, NJ". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  14. Mulvihill, Geoff (2012-11-30). "71 treated after gas leak from derailed NJ train". San Diego Union-Tribune. The Associated Press. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  15. "Part of N.J. train derailment case dismissed, judge says". 20 August 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  16. Six, Jim (August 23, 2009). "Train cars derail in Paulsboro, West Deptford". South Jersey Times. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  17. "Train derailment in Gloucester Co". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  18. "Responders Did More Harm Than Good in Paulsboro Train Derailment: NSTB". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  19. Kotzker, Dari (March 4, 2013). "Damaged in Paulsboro Derailment Will Be Replaced Bridge". NJ Today. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  20. Forand, Rebecca (March 1, 2013). "Paulsboro train derailment: Conrail to replace bridge that collapsed". South Jersey Times. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  21. Walsh, Jim. "Paulsboro span opens to train traffic after 2012 derailment". Courier-Post.