Train explosion leads to chemical release in downtown Houston

HPD firefighters working on to put off fire from a shipping container on the railroad near Conti and Chapman Streets Sunday, April 23, in Houston. The items inside the shopping container are visible after the metal walls fell apart. less HPD firefighters working on to put off fire from a shipping container on the railroad near Conti and Chapman Streets Sunday, April 23, in Houston. The items inside the shopping container are visible after the ... more Photo: Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle, Yi-Chin Lee Photo: Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle, Yi-Chin Lee Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Train explosion leads to chemical release in downtown Houston 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

A train explosion on Sunday evening blew out windows and sent a chemical stench across downtown Houston.

The shock from the blast could be felt as far as a mile and a half away.

Houston Independent School District board member Diana Dávila had just finished watching the Rockets playoff game with her family when they heard the loud boom.

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About two minutes later, she could smell something acrid.

"We didn't let my nieces and nephews play basketball outside afterward," Dávila said. "Not until we knew what it was, and the smell was gone."

When Houston firefighters arrived at the scene, the Union Pacific conductor told them the materials on the car were "nothing hazardous," according to Capt. Ruy Lozano.

Thirty minutes later, Union Pacific explained that the car held lithium ion batteries on the way to San Antonio for recycling. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Union Pacific spokesman Jeff DeGraff said the batteries are not hazardous, and air monitoring after the incident found nothing toxic. But safety data says lithium fumes are irritants to lungs, eyes and throats.

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No shelter in place was issued to nearby residents, and no notifications were sent to the public about what happened.

Dávila and her family didn't know details until her nephew pulled up some news on social media 40 minutes later.

Air Alliance Houston is backing a bill in the state legislature to create a system of push alerts to mobile phones during any chemical incident that would "substantially endanger human health or the environment."

Right now, the decision on when to alert the public in the immediate aftermath is left to local agencies. Federal regulations require companies to report toxic releases over certain amounts to the appropriate agency but do not mandate immediate public disclosure in an emergency.

"It's going to happen again," Air Alliance outreach director Leticia Ablaza said. "We just feel like we're in the dark on the companies utilizing the railroad and what materials are being shipped."

A Houston Chronicle investigation last year found that city officials have no idea what's being transported through Houston, as no government agency tracks what's coming and going on the highways and rails.

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The city also has no control over when and where hazardous materials are transported on rail routes.

Federal regulations leave that decision to rail carriers.

"We do have the discretion to select the most efficient route," DeGraff said. "The other option is putting it on trucks going on 610, I-10, and all around. Rail is the safest way to carry it."

When rail companies do move hazardous materials, they are under no obligation to notify authorities.

Air Alliance Houston is urging people to seek medical attention if they have symptoms. Union Pacific is asking those affected by the explosion to call 281-350-7390 to make a claim.