A Feared Chemical Spill Turns Out To Be Pancake Syrup
It was a sticky situation in Arizona where a train carrying tons of corn syrup derailed, causing officials to fear another toxic spill was underway.
A train carrying the sticky stuff derailed near the town of Topock along interstate 40. Initial reports claimed the train was carrying toxic chemicals and officials mounted a response for a hazardous material but it turned out to be enough corn syrup for millions of pancakes. Although there may have been toxic materials on board, those cars do not appear to have been among the eight cars that went off the tracks.
The National Transportation and Safety Administration is investigating but The incident happened just outside the Arizona State border to California. Arizona’s Mojave County Sheriff spokesperson Anita Mortensen said they still don’t know what may have caused the accident.
That incident is the latest in a string of train derailments that have deepened the concern for rail safety across the country. This accident involved the Burlington Northern Railway, which is one of the largest freight railroads in the country. Last month, the derailment of a Norfolk Southern Railway train carrying toxic chemicals through the state of Ohio derailed and caused a fire, leading officials to release some of the toxic gasses hoping to avoid an explosion. However the chemical gas released led to residents in the area to complain of problems related to breathing in the gasses.
-Tony Lee