CA Hazmat Crew Activated for Derailed Train

Oct. 19, 2021

The Oakland Fire Department's hazmat team was activated but found no leaks after six cars from a train transporting sulfuric acid derailed.

By Amy Graff

Source SFGate, San Francisco

A derailed train in Oakland, CA, that required a hazmat response from the city's fire department on Monday, Oct. 19, 2021.

Oct. 18—Six train cars carrying chemicals derailed in West Oakland on Monday afternoon, the Oakland Fire Department confirmed to SFGATE.

The department said the Union Pacific Railway train conductor reported a derailment and an odor at 10:46 a.m.

Four of the cars were carrying sulfuric acid at 128 tons each. Sulfuric acid is a chemical commonly used in fertilizers, petroleum refining and in iron and steel production, according to the National Library of Medicine. The other two cars trains were empty and previously carried a petroleum product, the department said at a press conference.

The Oakland Fire Department activated its hazardous materials team to the scene as a matter of precaution. Firefighters accessed the hot zone and found no leaks in the pressurized cylinders holding the sulfuric acid.