JUNE 3, 2015
SMYER, TEXAS
Six cars full of corn headed for the Diamond Ethanol plant
in Levelland were derailed outside of Smyer just before 10 p.m. Monday.
The Hockley County Sheriff’s Office said there were no
injuries reported in the derailment.
On Tuesday, workers were busy trying to get the railroad
repaired, a process that Dusty Young of Permian Basin Railways said will
probably take 48 hours.
The six cars were near the end of the train, he said. Cars
near the front of the train that had already passed through the area where the
train derailed were able to continue on to the ethanol plant.
Other cars behind the derailed cars were pulled farther back
from the derailment at the intersection with Lovebird Road.
Young said the entire load was full of corn bound for the
ethanol plant. He said a similar load of corn goes through about once a month.
“Derailments are extremely likely after we’ve had this much
rain. It’s pretty common. Our infrastructure is not built for 15, 16 inches of
rain at one time,” he said.
Young said Permian Basin Railways has been lucky after the
weather in the area.
“Derailments are actually pretty common on railroads,” he
said, noting that usually it’s just one or two cars. “It’s just the nature of
the beast when you’re with the railroad.”
Overall, he said railroad transportation is pretty safe, and
companies have plans in place in the event that a hazardous spill happens.
There was no hazardous material involved with the spill of
corn coming from some of the six cars derailed on Monday.
“There’ll be a lot of full birds out there, I can tell you
that much,” Young said.
Source: http://lubbockonline.com