Ambassador Caffery Overpass Reopens
Federal Railroad Agency Launches Separate Investigation into Train Derailment
On Monday, the Ambassador Caffery Parkway overpass reopened as crews continued to clean up spilled chemicals at the site of Saturday's train derailment. Around 6 p.m. the overpass was reopened after a long weekend of rerouted traffic at the artery, which provides access to Interstate 10 and south Lafayette.
3,000 people were exposed to a hydrochloric acid spill. The Federal Railroad Administration will be conducting it's own investigation of the train derailment that happened on Saturday, May 17.
Steven Klum, spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said that there has been a team there since Saturday.
It is typical for the agency to conduct an investigation of train incidents that involve serious fire, explosions, unintended release of hazardous materials and evacuations.
Six Burlington North Santa Fe Railway cars derailed early 2 a.m. on Saturday near the Ambassador Caffery overpass. The collision caused hydrochloric acid in the cars to seep out and contaminate at least a 1-acre radius of the collision site.
There were 3,000 residents that were evacuated within a 1-mile radius and not allowed to return until late Sunday.
The company has had at least two other derailments in the state this year, including one derailment in Lafayette in March near Walker Road within the vicinity of Saturday's accident.
Current statistics were not released on derailments or hazardous material spills or information on maintenance checks to the tracks, citing that the information was part of the current investigation.
According to Joe Faust, company spokesman, "BNSF Railway operates pursuant to all applicable federal safety regulations related to the safe operation of our railroad. The safety of our employees and the safety of the citizens in the communities where we operate is priority."
The company reported that there were no hazardous materials spills nationwide this year as of February 29, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Similar to a black box aboard an aircraft, investigators have the benefit of a locomotive event record to offer a timeline of events leading up to the crash.
Kulm said that they will gather the information and take it from there. They will also interview the train crews involved.
