Officials confirm no ammonia leak from derailed train cars north of Calgary
Aug 2, 2010 7:00 PM EST
AIRDRIE, Alta. - Nearly a dozen people were evacuated from a rural
area north of a Calgary bedroom community as a precaution after a
train carrying anhydrous ammonia derailed Tuesday morning.
But police said none of the potentially toxic gas was leaking and an
evacuation alert for two subdivisions and a mall on the northern
outskirts of Airdrie was lifted.
Officials from Canadian Pacific Railway said 30 cars from the 80-car,
kilometre-long train left the track in two different spots a few
kilometres north of the city.
There were no injuries, but the rail line between Calgary and Red Deer
was closed.
"All necessary precautions are being taken," said CP spokesman Mike LoVecchio.
Eight cars were carrying ammonia and the others were a combination of
flatbed units and grain cars, said Ken Hubbard, Airdrie's assistant
fire chief. Five cars were on their side.
Hubbard said hazardous materials teams were on site along with
firefighters. Air and weather conditions were being monitored.
LoVecchio couldn't estimate how long the cleanup would take.
The southbound train derailed shortly after 7 a.m. in the rolling farm
and ranch country near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Anhydrous ammonia is commonly used in nitrogen fertilizer. It is a
colourless gas, but when released from tanks in high concentrations,
it looks like dense steam.
Short exposure to low concentrations will not cause serious damage,
but at higher levels it has a pungent odour and will sting and
irritate the nose, throat and eyes. It can become dangerous if not
handled correctly.
The Canadian Press News from (c) The Canadian Press, 2010.
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