Face of Nation : Residents in Cypress County in southeastern Alberta are again of their properties after a practice derailment led to a chemical spill close to the neighborhood. The county confirmed Saturday that the leaked materials was the extremely flammable substance styrene. An Alberta Emergency Alert informed residents inside a seven-kilometre radius to evacuate the realm instantly on Friday afternoon.
The practice derailed on the west facet of Irvine — a neighborhood of about 300 folks, some 35 kilometres southeast from Medication Hat — alongside the north facet of Freeway 1 in Cypress County, officers stated.
About 80 first responders had been on the scene along with Canadian Pacific (CP) staff and contractors. Kim Dalton, director of emergency administration for Cypress Nation, stated it was an enormous response. Fireplace crews used foam to douse the location and to extinguish the flames. Dalton stated there isn’t a longer a hearth threat.
“The chemical has all been contained,” Dalton stated. “Crews labored by way of the evening and we’re utilizing earth materials to assist absorb the matter and alleviate any environmental contamination.” Residents had been allowed again into the realm late Friday evening.
Alberta Surroundings was on scene monitoring the cleanup. Dalton stated they had been glad with CP’s response to the scenario. Dalton stated the closure of the observe has led to a significant backlog between the communities of Dunbar and Irvine.
“Each hour that practice line is closed is a severe blow to the logistics of [Canadian Pacific] for western Canada,” Dalton stated. “So, they need to make sure that that line will get open as quickly as attainable. We will probably be anticipating a heavy stream of practice site visitors by way of the area over the subsequent 24 to 48 hours.”
