FIRDALE, Man. – Residents of two Manitoba communities are worried about
the possible long-term health effects of a May 2 truck-train collision.
A semi-trailer and Canadian National train collided at an uncontrolled
intersection near Firdale, 130 kilometres west of Winnipeg.
The train included four cars of benzene, one car of hexane and several
cars of plastic pellets.
The burning chemicals forced the evacuation of a Hutterite colony, 170
Firdale area residents and another 30 residents in the nearby community
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Despite assurances that the air and water around their homes would be
safe, residents who live near the crash site wonder what kind of
contamination the two-day chemical fire will leave.
“I’m worried about what’s laying on the ground,” said Jerry Peters, a
cattle producer who farms two kilometres from the crash site.
“Why wouldn’t they let people go home if the smoke was so harmless?”
Peters’ first concern was for his wife and two young boys, but he also
worried about his cattle and whether there will be long-term health
consequences for his livestock. He had cattle on pasture downstream
from the fire.
“They had access to water, but we don’t know what’s in it.”
Benzene is toxic, said Chuck Sanderson of the Manitoba Emergency
Measures Organization, but the chemical loses its toxicity as it
disperses and burns off.
Area residents were advised to wear rubber gloves and use soap and
water to wash away dust and ash found in their homes. Health officials
said the measure was only a precaution and that the dust was not
harmful.
While many residents were allowed home May 3, others weren’t so lucky.
Henry Peters couldn’t return to his farm until May 4.
He witnessed the collision, which started as a sequence of small booms
and then erupted into a large fireball that blasted into the air.
“After that, it was black billowing smoke,” Peters said.
About two hours after the collision, Peters was ordered to leave his
farm, where he keeps cattle and 500 laying hens.
“We had two minutes to get out,” he said of the evacuation. “They
wouldn’t let us do anything.”
He was allowed to return home briefly the following day, but it was not
until the next evening that he returned home permanently.
Being forced from his farm was more than an inconvenience. He had no
chance to get water to his cattle while he away. As well, power to his
farm was cut off and his laying hens were without feed and water.
George and Catherine Froese were also kept out of their home for more
than two days. When the evacuation order came, they had only enough
time to pack some clothes and personal effects. Their pets, including
dogs, cats and an iguana, were left behind.
The Froeses stayed with friends at a farm near MacGregor, Man.
Catherine managed to stay in good spirits while she was away from home,
despite the worry about what would become of her pets.
“It’s kind of nice having someone doing the cooking and laundry for
you,” she joked about an hour before learning they could return home.
She said one of their first priorities would be having the water at
their home tested to ensure it was safe for drinking.
The train crew and the truck driver were not injured in the accident.
An investigation is under way.
Volunteer firefighters from across the province helped fight the toxic
inferno. Water bombers were also used.
“We pulled it off without anyone getting hurt,” said a weary Gerry
Currie, fire chief for one of the local volunteer fire departments.
“We did the best we could. It’s unbelievable what’s involved.”
Aside from contending with the burning train wreckage, firefighters
also were needed May 3 to fight a machine shed fire and a brush fire in
the area.
A CN official said evacuees seeking compensation for expenses such as
lodging, meals or injured livestock should submit expenses to their
local municipal office. The municipality will forward the expenses to
CN, which will compensate those who qualify.
The CN official emphasized the compensation offer didn’t mean the
company was accepting blame for the crash.
