UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. - Clean-up was under way Sunday after a freight train derailed and sideswiped another on the banks of Puget Sound on Saturday night, sending some cars carrying a hazardous chemical careening off the rails near the water.
"Just sounded like a lot of banging, like someone was pounding on the walls," said Harry Hordyk, who lives nearby.
He wasn't sure what he heard until the county called with an alert, telling neighbors within a mile of the derailment to stay inside, just in case.
"We just thought, wow, this was more serious than we thought," said Hordyk.
On Sunday, emergency officials said it's safe to be outside. They believe about 50 gallons of sodium hydroxide leaked from one tank onto the shoreline, but did not go into the water.
The impact is tough to measure.
"Any amount into the environment isn't good. However, we were very fortunate because these cars hold up to about 15,000 gallons each," said Ron Holcomb, Washington Dept. of Ecology.
Crews were working Sunday to remove the sodium hydroxide from the four tankers before moving the tankers themselves.
Meanwhile, a Coast Guard cutter was patrolling the waters, keeping boats away from the area.
"We're gonna make sure that it gets cleaned up in the most safe and environmentally friendly way," said Lcdr Matthew Denning, US Coast Guard.
The impact stretches all the way up to Seattle, where Portland-bound Amtrak trains cannot operate.
Some Portland high school students were in Seattle for a leadership conference. Because they couldn't take the train, Amtrak found a bus to take them home.
"No bathrooms, there's no Wi-Fi. We don't get to make new friends because it's just us," said Cassie Anctil.
One line was expected to reopen Sunday evening, the other around midnight. The cause of the derailment is being investigated.
Chambers Bay golf course was closed due to the snow (not the derailment) but could reopen on Monday, Hunter T. George, Pierce County Communications Director, said.
George said Central Meadow (the big park by the water), the Bridge to the Beach (pedestrian bridge over the tracks) and Soundview Trail (the lower trail) are closed because of the derailment. It's not known when they will reopen.
The Chambers Bay Grill and the Grandview Trail (the portion of trail that runs along the top of the bluff) are open.
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