Litttleton, Colo.-All but a small amount of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe trainload of molten sulfur reached its destination safely in Texas last week after a derailment here that caused the spill of about 100 gallons of the liquid, according to BNSF officials. There were no injuries, and evacuation of the area was not required when the southbound train, on its way from Bonneville, Wyo., to Galveston Tex., derailed about 12:45 a.m. Jan. 17 in a congested track area that is also used for light-rail commuter service. “The leaks occurred from a couple of the 17 cars that derailed and jack-knifed,” BNSF spokesman Steve Forsberg told Green Markets. “All the derailed cars carried molten sulfur.” He said the sulfur, which was carried at 220 degrees in insulated cars, didn’t cause that much of a cleanup problem because it turns to a thick chunky sludge when it hits the air. “It was no threat to the public so no evacuation was required and there were no injuries,” he reported. “We had environmental people on site to properly dispose of the small amount that spilled. Even though it’s non-toxic to humans it can cause mild irritation to the eyes, nose and upper airways.” Others worked to get the cars back on the track or loaded onto gondola cars. “Most of the cars maintained their load and were able to continue on to their destination, although some may have had to be transloaded,” Forsberg explained. He said the derailment affected four tracks in a very tight area, making it difficult for BNSF and contractor personnel to complete the cleanup and repair. There were reports that light-rail service may be affected for several days.
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