NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark — It's been almost 39 years since about a thousand people were told to evacuate their homes after a train that was traveling through the state derailed in North Little Rock— and created a toxic gas leak.
“Ethylene oxide is a highly flammable liquefied gas, it says they began leaking slowly from a seam of a union carbide railroad tank car,” said Cary Bradburn with the North Little Rock History Commission. "
He explained that people were complaining about a lot of the same things as people in Ohio.
"Shortness of breath, respiratory irritation, nausea," Bradburn described.
Bradburn added that this happened in the middle of the night on December 31, 1984, and the news headlines from New Year’s Day are stored inside the city's history commission.
“This was a pretty major deal. I mean, you see traffic all backed up on the interstate, you know, again, it was out here to the east of us,” he said.
Luckily people were able to return home on January 2— but then three years later in 1987, another incident happened.
“Three railroad tankers carrying about 20,000 gallons of highly flammable ethylene oxide derailed at North Little Rock on Wednesday morning. This is coming out Thursday, July 9, 1987,” said Bradburn.
Bradburn said that the spill didn't cause any fires or explosions. While they weren't as severe as what we've been seeing play out in Ohio, the incidents did put the state on edge.
“There was a lot of back and forth about I mean, it was considered a dangerous situation. And but no, nothing like what happened in Ohio,” he added.
As the Norfolk Southern crash remains top of mind for many— and trains continue to make their way through Central Arkansas, people here want to know if we could see the past repeat itself here.
We reached out to Union Pacific who told us that they are required by law to transport chemicals and other hazardous materials, and explained that they're using new technology to reduce the risks of derailment.
They also said that railroads are the safest mode of transportation.
Union Pacific's full statement here:
Union Pacific shares the same goals as our customers and the communities we serve – to deliver every tank car safely. We are required by federal law to transport chemicals and other hazardous commodities that Americans use daily, including fertilizer, ethanol, crude oil, and chlorine.
Union Pacific has a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year emergency critical center and a robust emergency management plan in place that is activated in the event of an emergency. We also have Hazardous Materials Management teams placed regionally throughout our network to prevent, prepare, and respond to emergency events.
Union Pacific is using new technology and education to reduce variability and risks of derailment, and we are enhancing our training programs and re-emphasizing our safety culture through a joint effort with our union partners.
Railroads are the safest mode of transportation, delivering more than 99.9 percent of hazardous commodities that reach their destination safely, without a release.