Train, truck carrying hydrochloric acid collide in Centerville
Alyssa Choiniere | Herald-Standard
A firefighter takes a radio call to evacuate a neighborhood along Maple Glenn Road in Centerville where a train collided with a tanker truck carrying hydrochloric acid Tuesday morning.
Alyssa Choiniere | Herald-Standard
In this file photo, vapor billows from the collision point of a train and tanker truck carrying hydrochloric acid at a crossing on Maple Glenn Road in Centerville March 6, 2018.
Alyssa Choiniere | Herald-Standard
A train collided with a tanker truck carrying hydrochloric acid in Centerville, Washington County, Tuesday morning.
One person was flown from the scene and a neighborhood was evacuated after a CSX train collided with an oil tanker truck carrying hydrochloric acid at 10:38 a.m. Tuesday.
The truck was turning left on Maple Glenn Road at Route 88 (Low Hill Road) into Forum Energy Technologies when it was hit and dragged about 100 yards, according to East Bethlehem Fire Chief Mark Giovanelli. The tanker was carrying 4,400 gallons of hydrochloric acid. The train was leaking diesel fuel after the collision.
The driver was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital by medical helicopter. His condition was not yet known, said Giovanelli.
The train’s engineer and conductor were taken to a local hospital for evaluation, according to John Glass, public relations manager for Norfolk Southern Corporation, whose crew was operating the train.
Officials at Washington County Emergency Management said a hazardous materials crew is on the scene.
The fumes released as a result of the crash prompted officials to evacuate 15 homes near the collision. Glass said five people were evacuated from the houses. Officials said the Forum Energy Technologies warehouse was also evacuated.
Giovanelli said officials hope to finish the cleanup, decontaminating the tracks and neutralizing acid, so residents can return to their homes Tuesday evening.
“The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is engaged and working with county emergency personnel to ensure the continued safety of residents in the area,” Governor Tom Wolf said. “I am in contact with PEMA and the Department of Environmental Protection and we are closely monitoring the situation. We will continue to update the public in that area as responders work to secure the situation.”
Route 88 (Low Hill Road/Front Street) was closed between Fredericktown and Low Hill Road, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. A detour is in place.
Hydrochloric acid is corrosive to the eyes, skin and mucous membranes and can cause burns if inhaled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The tanker truck pulled in front of the train at the crossing, which is marked by crossbucks, according to Glass.
The train is comprised of three locomotives and 102 empty hopper cars. It was traveling from Newell to a coal mine in Claysville, Glass said. It is a CSX train operated by a Norfolk Southern train crew as part of an operating agreement between the two railroads for the section of rail line to serve a coal customer. Norfolk Southern owns the line, called the Mon Line, according to Glass.
A Norfolk Southern environmental contractor who specializes in hazardous material cleanup and remediation is assisting on the scene.
“Norfolk Southern’s top priority is ensuring the safety of its employees, the community, and emergency first responders,” Glass said.