Hydrogen peroxide spilled in Longueuil train derailment

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A train derailment forced the complete closure of Route 116 in Longueuil Thursday morning as emergency responders analyzed a hydrogen peroxide spill.

Firefighters managed to bring the situation under control late Thursday afternoon, Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier said in an update. A preventive lockdown remained partially in place for those living within 800 meters of the site and who were asked to keep windows, doors and air circulation systems closed.

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Montérégie’s public health department lifted the closure for those north of Route 116 late Thursday afternoon, citing “reassuring” levels of hydrogen peroxide, the direction of the wind and the fact that the fire had been extinguished.

Eight train cars derailed after 8 a.m. in the CN yards at Taschereau and Sir Wilfrid-Laurier Blvds. in Le Moyne. Four wagons were upright and four were on their sides, CN spokesman Mathieu Gaudreault told reporters.

Firefighters diluted the hydrogen peroxide with water. They had confirmed the spill but could not say how much of the chemical was involved. An Urgence-Environnement responder and a mobile laboratory went to the site just before noon to analyze air quality, Quebec’s environment ministry said.

No injuries were reported, Gaudreault said, although three CN employees were taken to a hospital as a “precautionary measure.”

He added that “preliminary information indicates that the risks (to the public) are minimal” – but that the substance has been classified as hazardous. People in the area should stay indoors until more information is available.

A spokesperson for the health authority said symptoms of hydrogen peroxide exposure include irritation of the eyes and throat, sneezing and coughing.

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In her afternoon update, Fournier suggested citizens use the City of Longueuil’s website, longueuil.quebec, to stay informed.

“(The confinement) could be lifted in whole or in part at very short notice,” she said, noting that public health is responsible for making this call.

On Thursday afternoon, the president of the Ordre des chimistes du Québec said in a statement that the spill demonstrates the need to take seriously the handling, transportation and storage of hazardous materials in Quebec.

“As the organization responsible for protecting the public in the field of chemistry, the (order) invites the population to follow the city’s directives regarding the Longueuil train derailment,” President Michel Alsayegh said.

He said water was used to dilute the peroxide to make it less dangerous.

“It is a chemical that could be potentially dangerous, but not something that will be considered very or too dangerous,” Alsayegh said, adding that he also does not expect the derailment to be considered an “environmental catastrophe.”

A daycare center in the area was evacuated because it was within the perimeter of emergency operations, according to city spokesman Raphaël Larocque-Cyr.

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Schools in the area were advised to keep students indoors.

The rails were blocked, preventing trains using the Victoria Bridge from passing. Via Rail canceled three trains between Montreal and Quebec City. Exo canceled service on the Mont-St-Hilaire railway line. Neither rail service could say when service would resume.

Longueuil police were deployed to help clear traffic in the aftermath of the derailment.

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The crash was visible about 100 yards from the intersection of Nobert and Jacques Cartier Blvd. W. The train was surrounded by a dozen emergency vehicles.

Gaudreault said it is too early to determine the cause of the accident, adding that it could have been the result of a track problem, a maneuver or a mechanical issue.

Motorists were urged to avoid the area.

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Presse Canadienne contributed to this report.

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