A substance that was leaking from a rail car in Lawrence was determined not to be a danger to the community, according to a news release from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.
LDCFM was dispatched around 10:30 a.m. Saturday to a rail car that was parked on a siding near the 400 block of Locust Street in North Lawrence, according to the release. A witness said the rail car had started to leak a few days earlier.
“Procedures were immediately initiated to contain and mitigate the spill,” according to the release. “A national chemical response call center named CHEMTREC was consulted and based on the markings on the railcar, identified that the leaking material was a Magnesium Chloride solution.”
The product is regularly applied to nonpaved roads for dust abatement, and to paved roads for deicing purposes, according to the release. CHEMTREK said it presents no hazard to the community.
Douglas County Emergency Management, the City of Lawrence’s Municipal Services and Operations department, Union Pacific Railroad and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are helping with the response, according to the release.
“This joint effort aims to ensure that the cleanup process is conducted in accordance with all necessary regulations and guidelines, minimizing any potential impact on the community and the environment,” according to the release.
“We want to assure the community that there is no ongoing leak from the rail car and there is no hazard to the surrounding area. LDCFM will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety and well-being of our community,” the release continued.
There were no injuries reported from the incident response, according to the release.
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