A CSX freight train derailed in Screven, GA early Saturday morning. Seven of the 200 cars derailed near Highway 84. Two of the derailed cars were carrying hydrogen peroxide. Around 100 local residents had to be evacuated once it was determined that one of the derailed cars was leaking. No injuries were reported and the cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
Screven Mayor, Jason Weaver, said “I get up here to see a train derailed in the city and you start thinking about things. You gotta think about waterways, you gotta think about what was in the tank, you gotta think about citizens….It’s tough, especially being a small city. This isn’t just going to be an overnight fix. This will take some time to get everything back to normal going again…..Big financial impact for our city. Our businesses that are open today, there’s no traffic other than these guys that are out here working going in and getting a coke.”
Director of Wayne County Emergency Management, Richard Johnson, stated “Crews are checking the environmental impact of the spill as a proactive measure. CSX says all seven cars will be scrapped…CSX is here with their investigators and reviewing computer tapes. We pulled some local tapes off some of the businesses here, security cameras, to help them do their investigation, so they haven’t given a definite cause.”
Highway 84 in Screven back open after CSX clears train derailment
