ALBION — The growing trend of sweet crude being transported by rail through Noble County has the potential — however improbable — of some very sour consequences should a derailment happen.
On Saturday, government officials and emergency responders have been invited to gather at the Central Noble Jr./Sr. High School auditorium to hear what the ramifications of such a sweet crude derailment would be from a hazardous materials expert — Larry Hamby, of the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to noon.
Noble County Emergency Management Agency director Mick Newton said the odds of a derailment are very slim. But should it happen, the effects could be devastating.
Newton said one of the misconceptions that has come to light is that the transportation of hazardous materials is somehow new. The rail lines have always hauled toxic and potentially dangerous chemicals.
The sweet crude is more volatile than the old type of crude that has previously has been transported on the local CSX and Norfolk Southern rails. It also burns more hotly and can be more toxic.
“The product has some unique characteristics we need to be aware of,” Newton said.
Another misconception is that the railroads are large corporate “enemies.”
“They have a wonderful safety record,” Newton said. “They’re great to work with.”
Another misconception perpetuated by some members of the media involves the cooperation and line of communication between the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and county officials.
The main office in Indianapolis was made aware of the sweet crude coming through the state in June of 2014. Word did not filter out to outlying areas until the fall of that year.
Newton said that Indianapolis has always been great about sharing information in a timely, thorough manner, but in this instance it somehow just slipped through the cracks.
Not letting any sort of disaster preparedness slip through the cracks is Newton’s job in Noble County, and he said he is looking at Saturday’s meeting as not only a reinforcement of safety precautions in the event of rail disaster but a means to communicate and organize overall safety plans.
The evacuation plans in a sweet crude disaster could work for many other types of calamities, and he said he hopes it will make schools, industries, nursing homes and government officials more aware of steps that need to be taken to be prepared. It’s also an opportunity for the general public to think about their own contingency plans.
“People have to take care of themselves until help can get to them,” Newton said. “Don’t bet your family’s life banking on someone else coming to rescue you.”
The overall goal?
“Building a resilient community…” Newton said. “It’s really about identifying what we already have here.”
Knowing that a local nonprofit has buses that are wheelchair-accessible, for example, Newton said, could be very helpful in the event a nursing home needs to be evacuated.
As for a rail disaster involving hazardous chemicals, first responders will take a three-pronged approach.
“The first thing is we’re going to get people out of the way,” Newton said. “The second thing is we’re going to try to stabilize it. Lastly, we have to recover from it.”
In the event of a sweet crude derailment and fire, it could be days before the fire is completely extinguished.
Hamby will provide up-to-date information on sweet crude incidences to the first responders.