St. James officials working to not spill any more acid as cleanup continues - WDSU New Orleans

ALL RIGHT. LIVE HERE WITH THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE TRAIN DERAILMENT. LET’S GET AN UPDATE FOR YOU NOW. OKAY. WE JUST MET WITH THE LEADERS WHO ARE WORKING ON THE SITE RIGHT NOW, NEUTRALIZING CHEMICALS THAT’S ON THE GROUND AS WELL, GETTING THE RAIL SYSTEM KIND CLEARED AS MUCH AS THEY CAN. THEY HAVE SEPARATED THE RAIL CARS. WE DON ONLY THREE CARS LEFT THERE. ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE DAMAGED CAR. THE PRODUCT THAT WAS RUNNING OUT HAD BASICALLY DRAINED ITSELF OUT. STILL, PRODUCT REMAINING IN THE CORE. WE KNOW THAT AT POINT WHEN THEY GET IN THE CARS UPRIGHT, THERE MAY BE SOME MORE SPILLAGE AS THEY TRY AND EVERYTHING THEY CAN AT THIS POINT. SOME POSSIBLE WAYS NEUTRALIZING WHAT’S IN THE CAR PRIOR TO OPERATING THAT PARTICULAR CAR. THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO NOT SPILL ANY MORE PRODUCT. BUT AS WE SPEAK, THE GROUND HAS BEEN DECONTAMINATED TO SOME DEGREE. THERE’S STILL SOME ISSUES DURING NIGHT. THERE WAS SOME VAPOR ISSUES. SO THEY CONTRACTED OUT SOME AIRBOATS TO PUSH SOME OF THE VAPORS AWAY FROM AREA THEY WERE WORKING, GIVEN GUYS A LITTLE BETTER ENVIRONMENT TO WORK IN. THEY WENT RIGHT BACK TO WORK. THEY’RE MAKING PROGRESS AS SPEAK. THE AIR MONITORS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, GIVING US SOME GOOD FEEDBACK THAT THINGS ARE PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW. AS FAR AS THE ZONE THAT IS RIGHT NOW, THE EVACUATED ZONES. WE SEE NO REASON TO TO EXPAND THAT AND WE’LL KEEP PUBLIC POSTED ON THE PROGRESS THEY’RE TODAY. AND LOOK, AS SOON AS IT’S SAFE. WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO THEIR HOUSES, BUT NOTHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL THE FACTS ARE IN PLACE THAT THE THE CHEMICALS NEUTRALIZED WILL BE NO MORE POSSIBILITY HAVING TO LET PEOPLE IN AND MOVING THEM OUT AGAIN. SO AS WE SPEAK, THEY’RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS. WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE’LL KEEP THEM POSTED AS DAY GOES ON AND SHARE. ON TOP OF THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU’VE GOT THE THREE CARS THAT ARE STILL THERE THAT ARE LEFT. HOW LONG A TIME FRAME ARE WE LOOKING AT TO UPRIGHT THOSE VEHICLES AND GET THOSE OUT OF THE WAY? THOSE CARS AS TRAIN CARS, THEY’RE WORKING ON THAT AS WE SPEAK. IT’S TO TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, IT’LL BE DONE IN AN HOUR OR 2 HOURS. BUT THEY’RE ALL WORKING ON AS WE SPEAK, ALL THE PARISH PRESIDENTS SAID YESTERDAY THAT THEY THINK THAT RESIDENTS MAYBE CAN BACK SOMETIME LATER THIS AFTERNOON, THAT THEY WON’T HAVE TO STAY OVERNIGHT FOR A SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW IF THERE ARE ANY SETBACKS. WOULD YOU SAY THERE WERE ANY SETBACKS THAT MAYBE HURT THOSE CHANCES? I WOULD SAY. THERE WAS A SETBACK WHEN THEY HAD AN ISSUE WITH THAT LITTLE FUME AND PLUME THAT SETTLED ON THEM. AND THEN THERE WAS A NEED TO GET SOME OF AIR MOVES IN PLACE. AND THAT TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO 2 HOURS TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THAT. ONCE THEY WERE BLOWING SOME OF THAT STUFF OFF OF THE WORKERS. SO THEY WERE ABLE TO GET BACK IN HERE. SO IT SET THEM BACK. SOME IS HARD TO GIVE YOU A TIME. YOU KNOW WE DON’T WANT SAY HEY WE WON’T LET YOU BACK AT YOUR HOUSE AT O’CLOCK AND AND WE JUST CAN’T DO IT. BUT THEY TOLD US THEY KEEP US POSTED. I’VE MADE A REQUEST TO KEEP ME UPDATED ON AIR QUALITY. IF WE HAVE SOMEONE HAS AN EMERGENCY, WE’LL DO THE SAME THING WE DID LAST NIGHT, ALLOWING SOMEONE, IF WE CAN GIVE ME A READING IN THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION WHERE THE PERSON MAY NEED TO GO THEIR HOME TO RETRIEVE SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE LEFT ANIMALS BEHIND. THERE’S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THAT. WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU, BUT I CAN’T TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IF YOU SHOW AT THIS ROADBLOCK, I’LL GET YOU ANY 15 MINUTES OR A HALF AN HOUR. WE GOT TO MAKE SURE IT’S SAFE. ANYONE MOVE IN TO YOUR PARTICULAR LOCATION AND GET YOU THAT? WHAT’S THE NEXT PHASE FOR THE SYMPTOMS THAT CAN COME ABOUT IF YOU DO INHALE THIS? HOW IS EVERYONE. AS FAR AS THE CREW THAT’S OUT THERE WORKING, HAVE NO REPORTS OF ANYONE BEING AFFECTED BY THE PRODUCT THEY’RE WEARING ALL THEIR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AS THEY’RE GOING IN AND OUT OF THERE. AND I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO WITH MOVING THE AIR AROUND IS TO GIVE THESE GUYS A BETTER WORKING ARMOR SO THEY CAN MAYBE GET OFF SOME OF THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT THE FACIAL COVERAGES AND THE THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO, THEY CAN GET DOWN TO JUST REGULAR GLOVES AND GO TO WORK, BUT THEY’RE DOING EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO TO PROTECT THEIR PEOPLE. WE HAVE NO REPORTS OF ANYBODY INJURED. I DON’T HAVE ANY UPDATED REPORTS OF ANYONE IN A PUBLIC THAT MAY HAVE GONE AND SEEK MEDICAL HELP IF THAT HAPPENED. I DON’T HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT. NOW, ON TOP OF THE CHEMICAL SPILL, CAN KIND OF OUTLINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET THAT ALL CLEANED UP. THE ACTUAL PROCESS THAT TAKES SO THEY HAVE PRODUCT THE GROUND THAT CAME IN WITH THE CHEMICALS THEY NEED TO NEUTRALIZE THAT THEY DID A LOT OF THAT LAST NIGHT. THEY ARE TAKING SOME SAMPLES SOIL SAMPLES. THEY’RE VERY THEY GIVE US POSITIVE FEEDBACK. THIS THAT IT WASN’T AS DEEP AS THEY THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE GONE JUST IN SOME SOME SAMPLING. BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT THEY PROBABLY MISSED BECAUSE YOU JUST PICTURE, YOU KNOW, THE SPILLAGE AND WHAT DIRECTIONS ARE SEEPING AND FINDING ITS LOW SPOT, SETTLING IN CERTAIN LITTLE DITCHES OR WHATEVER. SO THERE’S ONE THE SUN COMES UP AND WE CAN REALLY THE TOTAL AREA OF AFFECTED GROUND THEY’RE GOING TO THEY’RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT IMMEDIATELY. BUT THEY DID AS MUCH AS THEY LAST NIGHT. IT THEM GET THE WORK CREWS IN GET WHAT THEY NEEDED TO GET DONE AND THEY’RE GOING TO JUMP ON THAT AS SOON AS THE SUN IS UP. AND WE CAN SEE THAT MAYBE THEY MISSED A LITTLE TRENCH THAT IT MAY HAVE TAKEN DIFFERENT PATH. THEY’RE GOING TO DIG UP A LOT OF GROUND. THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO GET TO THAT LEVELS THAT ARE REQUIRED. THEY ALSO SAMPLING THE SAMPLE THE VEHICLES THAT THEY PULLED AWAY, THAT THE CARS, MAKING SURE THERE WERE SOME THAT NEEDED TO BE DECONTAMINATED. AND THEY ASSURED US THAT ONE TIME THAT WE WANT TO BRING PEOPLE BACK IN THAT THEY WILL ASSIST TO SATISFY THE PUBLIC WHO’S COMING IN, WHETHER OR NOT THERE’S AN ISSUE ON THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY, WHETHER THEY COME AND TAKE AN AIR QUALITY READINGS, DOING SAMPLES ON THEIR VEHICLES, ON THEIR DOORKNOBS, WHATEVER NEEDS, TO BE DONE TO ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT WE LET THEM RETURN TO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. RESIDENTS ARE WAKING UP THIS MORNING. PARDON ME. DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE TRAIN DERAILMENT YET? NO, WE DON’T KNOW. IF IF RESIDENTS ARE WAKING UP THIS IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS. DO YOU HAVE A WOULD YOU WOULD YOU PREFER THEM TO SHOW HERE OR WAS THERE A NUMBER THEY SHOULD CALL? WHAT’S THE SAFEST YOU WANT RESIDENTS TO KNOW? BECAUSE THEY WILL BE OBVIOUSLY UP THIS MORNING WITH A LOT OF QUESTIONS. NO, WE’RE DON’T WANT PEOPLE STARTING TO SHOW UP AND LINING UP ON A HIGHWAY AND THERE’S NO WAY FOR US TO GET THEM IN. WE WOULD PREFER THAT THEY WAIT TILL WE GIVE THEM A CLEAR SIGN THAT THIS IS SAFE. WE CAN MAYBE START MOVING IN ONE STREET AT A TIME OF COURSE TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE CLOSEST TO THE INCIDENT. WE WE TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT THEY’RE TO BE THE LAST ONES IN. THERE’S A LOT OF ACTIVITY ON CLOSE TO THEIR RESIDENT BUT AS SOON AS WE CAN WE’RE GOING TO TIGHTEN UP THAT ZONE OF THE BACK NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT FIRST, TO GIVE YOU A TIMELINE RIGHT NOW, AND IT JUST YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO JUST SITTING ON A ROAD WAITING FOR US TO DO THAT. WHAT ABOUT RIVER TRAFFIC? BECAUSE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THIS AS WELL AS WELL. DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THE RIVER RIGHT NOW? BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE COAST GUARD. THE RIVER RIGHT NOW THEY JUST MONITORING IT. THEY THE RIVER TRAFFIC IS OPEN AS OF NOW. THEY HAD IT SHUT DOWN VERY BRIEFLY WHILE THEY DID ASSESSMENTS AND ALL BUT THAT’S BEEN ALL LIFTED SO THE RIVER TRAFFIC SHOULD BE FLOWING AT THIS TIME. THEY BROUGHT IN SEVERAL CONTRACTORS IS THAT IT’S A E-3 WHICH IS ALSO NOW WAS BOUGHT OUT BY OIM ALL UP WHICH IS A CONTROL THAT IS UNDER CONTRACT WITH CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILROAD AND HORCHER, THEIR OPERATING