[TNham] Thousands evacuated after sulfuric acid spill

[Greg Williams]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/09/15/knoxville.spill/index.html

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- Authorities ordered 30,000 people to evacuate
Sunday after thousands of gallons of sulfuric acid being shipped by the U.S.
military spilled from an overturned rail car, with most of it rising as a
heavy, billowing cloud of hazardous gas.

Authorities evacuated most people in the Farragut and Turkey Creek
communities and surrounding areas within a 5-mile radius of the accident
site, 20 miles from downtown Knoxville. The Red Cross and city authorities
set up shelters across the city.

No casualties were reported from the accident or from the ensuing toxic
spill, Knoxville police said.

The Norfolk Southern train was en route from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to
Birmingham, Alabama, and had 141 cars and three locomotives, said Susan
Terpay, a company spokeswoman. She said 24 cars and two locomotives
derailed.

The cause of the accident, which happened at 11:23 a.m., was being
investigated.

Only one of the derailed cars contained the chemical, known as "fuming
sulfuric acid," which was being shipped to Birmingham by the military,
Terpay said.

A hazardous materials team from Norfolk Southern was trying to neutralize
the gas with chemical agents, she said.

Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison said he believes the cleanup operation
will be "long-term."

The military shipment included two Army tanks on a flatbed car attached to
the one containing the sulfuric acid. Hutchison said the tanks "contain no
ammunition" and are secure.

Sulfuric acid fumes are an extreme irritant, and direct contact with them
can cause blindness. The acid is commonly found in car battery acid, some
toilet bowl cleaners, chemical munitions and some fertilizers.

The immediate effect of exposure to the fumes is irritation to the eyes,
nose and throat and difficulty breathing. Prolonged exposure can cause
extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach, while ingestion of the
acid in its liquid form may be fatal.