ST. JAMES PARISH, La. — Two lawsuits have been filed in state court by residents evacuated because of an acid spill from a Canadian National derailment on Wednesday — even before the evacuation order for the rural community of Paulina had been lifted.
Nola.com reports CN or related corporations are the sole defendant in the suits, which make a number of negligence claims against the railroad. Travis Turner, attorney for one of the plaintiffs said the suit “wants to make sure people are fairly compensated for any fear or fright, any inconvenience and bodily injury,” while Chuck Long, a lawyer for another set of plaintiffs, said the suits were filed quickly to preserve critical evidence, including wheels from railcars and removed track
Eight cars derailed in the Wednesday afternoon derailment, resulting in damage to one car carrying about 20,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid. That led to the evacuation of about 200 homes; by Thursday, residents of all but two of those homes had been allowed to return [see “Most residents return home …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 4, 2022].
According to Eric Deroche, St. James’ homeland security director, the acid involved in the leak was being shipped by Reagent Chemical, which has a plant in nearby Geismar, La. Reagent says on its website that it is the largest supplier of liquid hydrochloric acid in North America, with a fleet of more than 3,000 rubber-lined tank cars to ship the material.
Share this article
