Herington, Kan.–Workers kept busy cleaning nearly 9,000 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled onto the ground and into a creek in Herington on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 8, when two railcars bumped into each other during switching. The impact caused one railcar to run under the bottom of a second that was carrying the acid, causing the car to rupture and spill its contents. Apparently the chemical ran from the damaged railcar onto the ground, across a road, and into Lime Creek. “Residents have been warned to avoid using the creek for recreational or drinking water. In addition, ranchers who use the creek for watering cattle downstream have also been alerted,” said Chancy Smith, director of Dickinson County Emergency Management. Smith told Green Markets that the cleanup team built a limestone dam approximately one mile downstream from the spill in order to filter out the sulfuric acid. “Most of the chemical sank to the bottom of the creek, since the sulfuric acid is much heavier than water. It’s fortunate that the spill didn’t occur in the warm summer months when people use the creek for recreational purposes,” added Smith. Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific, said, “As of today (Jan. 12), the remediation team has performed final pH tests on the soil. The pH tests are also being performed on the water, and overall, the pH levels are looking much better.” Davis also said they would continue to test the area and would send out another notice when the water is considered safe for use. In the meantime, officials in the area are urging residents to avoid the area for recreation and drinking purposes.
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