Rail cars venting chlorine pulled to safe zone near Tamaroa

A Jackson County sheriff's deputy on patrol near DeSoto alerted Du Quoin firefighters at noon Thursday about a northbound Canadian National freight train that was pulling several chlorine tank cars that were either leaking or venting chlorine gas. First responders alerted the railroad. Instead of stopping the train in Du Quoin, the railroad radioed the engineer and told him to take the train through Du Quoin and stop it north of Rt. 154 at Pintail Road south of Tamaroa. The train was met by Perry County Sheriff Keith Kellerman and deputies, Du Quoin and Tamaroa firefighters and emergency services director David Searby and ESDA responders. Railroad personnel rolled up and told those at the scene they felt the six chlorine cars were empty. Yet, the strong chlorine smell was everywhere. With no imminent danger it was decided to let the train continue north to the repair yard at Centralia. For a time, Division Street near the fire station in Du Quoin was blocked off as HazMat trucks arrived and set up a staging area alongside the fire house.