Train Spill Cleanup Could Take Days

It could take days for crews to clean up the thousands of gallons of chemicals that spilled and caught fire after a freight train derailed and hit a house in western New York, authorities said.

At least seven of the 42 cars of a CSX Corp. train headed for an Eastman Kodak plant jumped the tracks Sunday in Charlotte, a neighborhood near Rochester. Two tankers containing methylene chloride and acetone--chemicals used in making photographic film--leaked and caught fire, and two homes were heavily damaged, Fire Capt. Dan McBride said.

There were no serious injuries.

Plumes of black smoke from the burning cars could be seen more than 10 miles away, witness Sharon Connolly said.

“I saw the cars fly in the air. There was an explosion,” Connolly told the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester for its Monday editions.

There was no immediate word on whether the chemicals posed health or environmental dangers. Some residents were advised to evacuate as a precaution.

The train originated in Rochester, CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan said.

“We’re working with local authorities to make sure this thing gets resolved safely and quickly,” he said.

An engineer was treated for minor injuries after he jumped from the train as it tipped, McBride said. The conductor, the only other person on board, was not injured. No one was injured inside the home that was hit or in another home that caught fire, McBride said.

The full extent of the damage would not be known until today, said Rochester Fire Chief Floyd Madison. A hazardous materials team was called in to clean up the chemicals.