Chemical Spill Evacuations Lifted For All Homes In Monument

MONUMENT, Colo. (CBS4) - An evacuation order for homes surrounding a chemical leak from a train was lifted for all homes in Monument at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

A team of chemical specialists from Texas are in Colorado overseeing the cleanup of a chemical spill on a rail line that prompted a major evacuation Wednesday morning.

A total of 250 homes in Monument were evacuated after a passing train noticed a leak. That train tanker was moved away from homes by 2 p.m. Wednesday. Everyone was allowed to return home at about 10 p.m. Wednesday.

"We got ready to go and then the police knocked on the door and said that it's time to go," said evacuated resident Tom Myers.

Clean up is a lengthy process. Crews from Texas and Colorado, contracted by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad donned hazardous materials suits and pumped acid from the leaking tanker to an empty one. It could take 6-8 hours. The process began at about 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The level of the acid in the tanker was below where the hole was located at 9 p.m. Wednesday. The rest was transferred to the empty tank.

"At about 1 a.m. this morning a northbound train was seen having a vapor trail coming out of one of its tanker cars by a southbound train," El Paso Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Mike Schaller said.

The train, which was carrying 25,000 to 30,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid, stopped at Wagon Gap Trail and Elk Valley Trail. Hazmat crews were called in and they determined the chemical leaking is hydrochloric acid. They described it as a slow leak and said the risk to the public is minimal in part because winds have been calm.

By 11 a.m. emergency crews were able to get a magnetic patch on the tank to help stop the leak and were monitoring it closely.

"When the offload process starts that's going to be the more critical time," Schaller said. "Once they start that process they'll evaluate based on the weather and the situation that they're facing when they start and if the hazmat crews and the team determine that they need to do (more) evacuations we'll start them at that point.

If more evacuations were to take place they would likely be at the Past Time subdivision, which contains about 150 homes. No residents have reported health problems.

Once clean up is complete, crews will assess the area and determine when it will be safe for residents to return.

The Lewis Palmer School District canceled classes for the day on Wednesday due to the situation.

Grace Best Elementary, on Jefferson Street, was also opened as an evacuation center. The Red Cross is helping displaced residents.

An animal boarding shelter was also set up at a facility called Dream Power.

The train was headed from Kansas to Denver.

CBS4's Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida explains the health dangers associated with hydrochloric acid in the video below.