Smoke subsides after hazardous rail spill in Tennessee

MARYVILLE, Tenn. -- A local official said smoke quit rising Thursday afternoon from the site where a CSX train car carrying hazardous material derailed and caught fire in eastern Tennessee, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.

Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell said shortly before 6 p.m. he and others had visited the site, and the smoke had stopped.

Earlier, officials said firefighters had been unable to get close to the burning car because of the heat. Mitchell said there were concerns the fumes contained cyanide, a byproduct of burning the chemical acrylonitrile, which was leaking from the train car.

Officials said firefighters had been trying to hose down neighboring rail cars and keep them cool while trying to move them away from the flames.

The derailment late Wednesday prompted the evacuation of thousands of people within a mile-and-a-half radius.

The damaged car was carrying liquid acrylonitrile, which officials said is a hazardous material used in multiple industrial processes, including making plastics. It's flammable, and it's dangerous if inhaled. The Environmental Protection Agency says some effects of breathing acrylonitrile include headaches, dizziness, irritability and rapid heartbeat.

Josh West, spokesman for Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, said 52 people had come in for treatment there as of 5 p.m. Thursday, and 25 had been admitted. He said some of the others were discharged, and some remained in the emergency room for observation. He said none had life-threatening injuries, but rather conditions such as respiratory issues, skin irritation and nausea.

Ten first responders received hospital treatment after breathing fumes.

At a 4:30 p.m. news conference, CSX regional vice president for state government affairs Craig Camuso said authorities didn't know how much acrylonitrile was spewing out and burning or how much remained in the tank.

The fire was reported shortly before midnight Wednesday.

About 5,000 people in the area were evacuated, along with several businesses.

Mitchell asked residents near the derailment site not to drink well water for now. He said CSX will provide bottled water to residents at a local middle school.

Maryville city manager Greg McClain said there's no indication yet whether well water has been affected by the incident.

Kevin Eichinger, an on-scene coordinator with the EPA, said air, water and soil samples would be tested.

He said early air testing Thursday indicated air quality "around background levels."

McClain advised evacuees to make plans to be away from home at least for Thursday night.

"We're doing our very best to get you back to your homes as soon as possible," he said.

On its Facebook page, the Blount County Sheriff's Office said early Thursday the evacuations could last from 24 to 48 hours.

Camuso said the company is placing evacuees in hotels, will provide reimbursement and will provide gift cards for food and essentials to those who need them.