Monday’s late-night train derailment in East Aurora may have been troubling to residents of the normally peaceful village.
But authorities and railroad experts say it could have been a whole lot worse.
DEMANDS BY FEDERALLEADERS FOR A FULLINVESTIGATION INTO ATRAIN DERAILMENT INEAST AURORAOVERNIGHT.THIS WAS THE SCENETHIS MORNING AS ANEVACUATION ORDERWAS LIFTED AND THECLEANUP BEGAN.THIS HAPPENED NEARMAIN AND ELM STREETIN THE HEART OF THEVILLAGE.MORE THAN A DOZENRAIL CARS JUMPEDTHE TRACKS...SPILLING HAZARDOUSMATERIALS.TONIGHT - I-TEAMCHIEF INVESTIGATORCHARLIE SPECHTTAKES A CLOSER LOOKAT THE DANGEROUSSCENE... AND HOW ITEASILY COUDL'VETURNED TRAGIC.LAST NIGHT'S TRAINDERAILMENT IN EASTAURORA WASTROUBLING TOVILLAGERESIDENTS...BUTAUTHORITIES ANDRAILROAD EXPERTSSAY IT COULD HAVEBEEN A WHOLE LOTWORSE.CHIEF SHANEKRIEGER#EASTAURORA POLICEDEPARTMENT#DURATION:0:10IT WAS AN ACT OF GODI THINK FOR THE TRAINTO COME OFF HERE INA PARKING LOT WITHNO STRUCTURESAROUND OR ANYTHING.JUSTINMIKULKA/AUTHOR OF"BOMB TRAINS":THERE HAVE BEENSEVERAL CLOSECALLS, BUT HAVING AFULL OIL TRAIN LIKETHIS -- IF IT WAS A FULLOIL TRAIN -- DERAIL INDOWNTOWN COULD BECATASTROPHIC.JUSTIN MIKULKA IS THEAUTHOR OF THE BOOK"BOMB TRAINS" INWHICH HECHRONICLES TRAINCRASHES LIKE THIS2013 EXPLOSION OFRAIL CARS IN QUEBEC,CANADA.JUSTINMIKULKA/AUTHOR OF"BOMB TRAINS":IT JUST BASICALLYINCINERATED THEDOWNTOWN -- KILLED47 PEOPLE.THAT CRASH FIRSTDREW WORLDWIDEATTENTION TO THETANKER TRAINS FILLEDWITH HIGHLY VOLATILEOIL, NATURAL GAS ANDPROPANE.EASTAURORA POLICE SAYTHERE WAS PROPANE,NOT OIL, IN THE CARSTHAT JUMPED THETRACKS IN THE HEARTOF THE VILLAGE.BUT SENATOR CHUCKSCHUMER SAYS THETRAIN WASTRANSPORTING"HIGHLY FLAMMABLEPETROCHEMICALS"AND LIKE SCHUMER,CONGRESSMAN BRIANHIGGINS FIRED OFF ALETTER TO THEFEDERAL RAILROADADMINISTRATORDEMANDING ANINVESTIGATION.JUSTINMIKULKA/AUTHOR OF"BOMB TRAINS":AND BUFFALO IS A MAINAREA WHERE THESETRAINS HAVE BEENCOMING THROUGH FORTHE PAST 7 YEARS, OR10 YEARS, ACTUALLY.EXPERTS AND LOCALACTIVISTS SAY THESO-CALLED "BOMBTRAINS" DO ROLLTHROUGH WESTERNNEW YORK...PACKEDWITH OIL MINED FROMTHE NORTHWEST ONITS WAY TO ALBANY, AMAJOR RAIL HUB.JUSTINMIKULKA/AUTHOR OF"BOMB TRAINS":BUT GETTINGINFORMATION FROMTHE RAIL COMPANIES ISNEARLY IMPOSSIBLE,ESPECIALLY FOR ASMALL TOWN LIKETHAT.POLICE CONFIRMEDTHE BUFFALO &PITTSBURGHRAILROAD DID NOTPROVIDE THEM AMANIFEST OF THENUMBER OF TANKERCARS AND THEIRCONTENTS...THERAILROAD SAID IT ISINVESTIGATING THECAUSE, BUT DID NOTRESPOND TOQUESTIONS BY THE I-TEAM ABOUT WHATWAS INSIDE ALL THETANKERS.JUSTINMIKULKA/AUTHOR OF"BOMB TRAINS":REALLY, IT'S COMEDOWN TO AN ISSUE OFOIL COMPANIES'PROFITS VS.
SAFETY.MIKULKA SAYS SOMEOF THE SAFETYREFORMS LIKE BREAKIMPROVEMENTSFLOATED AFTER THETRAGEDY IN QUEBECHAVE SINCE BEENOVERTURNED BY THETRUMPADMINISTRATION,WHICH HE SAYS HASTAKEN A MOREHANDS-OFFAPPROACH TORAILROADS.JUSTINMIKULKA/AUTHOR OF"BOMB TRAINS":SEEING THOSE TANKCARS -- THANKFULLYTHEY WEREN'T FULL OFOIL -- BUT HANGINGOFF THAT BRIDGE...YOUKNOW, IN AURORA.THAT'S FRIGHTENING,KNOWING POTENTIALLYWHAT COULD HAPPEN.FOR THE I-TEAM,CHARLIE SPECHT, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS
7 Eyewitness News has learned that despite a railroad company’s refusal to provide a complete accounting of the train’s..