A train car leaking hydrochloric acid will probably continue leaking all night along a side rail near Lewis And Clark Village, but officials say its situated in an area where it doesn’t pose a danger to the public and will be monitored by a haz-mat team and officials from Burlington Northern Railroad.

The leaking tanker was spotted by another train at about 6:30 Thursday evening.  The initial response was to shut down US-59 highway and Missouri Highway 45, and order an evacuation of a quarter mile area around the intersection of the two highways.

Buchanan County Emergency Management Director Bill Brinton says there are only about two houses in the mostly rural area of southern Buchanan County.  When crews checked on them, there was nobody home.  He was not sure if they were gone, or had self-evacuated.  There were no injuries.

A hazardous materials team from Olathe, Kansas was summoned.  The Region-H Emergency Management Team, the Rushville Fire Department, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and Heartland Ambulance responded to the incident.

Officials thought they had the situation under control, and actually reopened the two highways, but when the leaks persisted they shut down the interchange again and resumed their emergency posture.

Brinton says a southbound Burlington Northern train spotted the leak on a northbound train at about 6:30 p.m.  A tank car full of hydrochloric acid developed a rust hole about the size of a dollar.  Crews pulled the leaking car off to a side rail.

Click here for the latest from Emergency Management Director Bill Brinton.

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