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Dave Engebretson
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Interesting investigational story! Hope to see some details as to how this incident actually occurred. These pressure vessels are built and regularly inspected to avoid explosions or spills of the type that occurred in Minot. Let's hope we can avoid future incidents like this one.
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Steve Wagner
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Dave, our stories will talk about what caused the train wreck in Minot. Two federal agencies cooperated to rebuild the crash site to determine what happened. Look for a story in the paper or online Friday.
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Betty
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Steve, I don't know how stories are assigned, but how did you get involved in this issue? Has it changed how you live or view the world?
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Steve Wagner
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Betty, I received a tip from a reliable source about some of the people injured from the wreck. On Friday, you'll have a chance to read about the people whose stories we first heard. I don't think anyone realized how badly hurt these people were, and after meeting with editors, we decided people should know what really happened. I don't think I've changed the way I live day to day, but it certainly has shaped my interests as a journalist, particularly when it comes to emergency management and preparedness issues. As far as views of the world, I think working on this project really helps emphasize the need for empathy and understanding about the people living in our communities.
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Stuart
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What about the wildlife in the area? What kind of an impact did the spill have on them. Would it have carried through to contaminate cows milk, meat, etc?
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Steve Wagner
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You bring up a good point and a concern of many of the people living closest to the wreck, Stuart. Many of the residents who returned to their homes were afraid they'd find dead wildlife, trees and grass. One resident found 15 dead deer and presumably many other smaller animals died too. People's pets also suffered injuries and at least one family's dog died. I haven't heard about any deaths or long-term problems with farm animals in the area. However, that may be because the cloud mostly covered Minot and the secluded neighborhoods immediately to the west of the city -- areas where there were very few farm animals.
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Tom R.
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What ever happened to the trucker in the story that we heard the 911 call from, is he having long term problems from the exposure?
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Steve Wagner
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Tom, several people have been moved by the trucker's call. Rescuers found the trucker in a ditch after he had been there for about two hours. I talked to his attorney about 10 days ago. The trucker, who lives in Canada, is reportedly in pretty bad shape and has been unable to work the past seven months. His attorney doesn't want to disclose specifics about his injuries, but the trucker is likely suffering many of the health complications we'll outline in part four of the series.
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Jim Schumacher
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My plant is near a railway spur. Every day, I see chemical tank cars go by and wonder whether the railroad is required to notify people in nearby buildings of evacuation alerts in case of accident. After all, we are required to learn how to lift boxes, yet the chemicals look more perilous than cardboard boxes.
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Steve Wagner
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Jim, I appreciate your comments and would be interested to know if you've contacted your local fire department for information about emergency evacuations. In Minot, the train crew called 911 after they attempted to call their own switchboard operated. While the railroad participated in training exercises with Minot agencies, it was up to firefighters to attempt an evacuation.
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JAB
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Nice job on the Article. You should be proud of your work!
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Steve Wagner
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I'm glad to hear you enjoyed reading the articles. Hopefully, the public will be more aware about emergency issues once the series is completed.
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Chris Magnus
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I am looking forward to the next several pieces of this story. By exploring this incident in the kind of depth it deserves, you are really performing a valuable public service. It is also clear you are a very talented writer. The first segment was sure a compelling read!
I hope you will be able to explore in future stories the steps being taken here in the F-M area to better protect local residents from this kind of potential disaster. We still have a lot to accomplish, but we can learn a great deal from the incident in Minot in order to be as ready as possible for a derailment or other chemical spill that could happen here. Thanks for your work on this project!
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Steve Wagner
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Chris, One of the main reasons The Forum decided to devote the time and resources to a story in Minot because of the important public service it plays, statewide and locally. Your point is well taken about the local efforts to protect residents. The series will look at what has been done, and can be done in the future, to keep residents in the Fargo-Moorhead area educated and safe. Also, The Forum will look at writing stories in the next several months to better educate the public about how individuals can help protect themselves.
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Beth R.
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Steve, in light of what happened on September 11, when this disaster struck, were there concerns that it may have been a terrorist attack?
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Steve Wagner
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Thanks for your question, Beth. The people living in and near Minot were worried that they had been attacked by terrorists. This wreck happened four months after the Sept. 11 attacks and less than two months after anthrax scares nationwide. A future story will talk briefly about why some people in Minot thought they were under attack by terrorists.
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Shayla
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Being in a farm community, I am assuming that we have anhydrous tanks on our railroad system. Do our emergency management teams in Fargo-Moorhead have a plan should this type of accident happen here? What do you think we can learn locally from this accident?
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Steve Wagner
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Shayla, thanks for your comment and questions. There are numerous anhydrous ammonia tanks in and near communities in the Red River Valley. Every day, railroads ship the farm fertilizer through the heart of Fargo-Moorhead. Our local hazardous materials team has trained for large chemical spills and responds to incidents all over the region. As the Minot series unfolds, you'll see that the Minot firefighters were trained but not prepared for this large of a spill. An upcoming story in the series will show what local officials have learned from the Minot wreck.
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pamela
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Steve, I don't know where you go for this kind of thing, but have you seen in this, any kind of manual that people could have in their house that tells them what to do with different chemicals. My first reaction would be to go in the basement, but I understand with anhydrous, it falls, so going to the highest point is safer. Have you seen any kind of manual thing that explains the hazards and precautions?
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Steve Wagner
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Excellent question, Pamela. There are several steps people can take to protect themselves in case of a chemical emergency. Many of the steps are similar to those you'd take in a severe winter storm. Some of the information will be on The Forum's Web site as the series unfolds. Also, in the F-M area, local fire departments have a lot of information in brochures that they could give you.
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J. Johnson
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We now know how dangerous anhydrous amonia can be, but what were in the other tanks on the train? Are there other potentially hazardous scenarios that could have from other substances being carried on trains through the state? Did you find anywhere in your research if we transport nuclear waste?
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Steve Wagner
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The train near Minot also carried other chemicals, including urea (another fertilizer) and black carbon. And while anhydrous is a horrible chemical to breathe, this derailment could have been worse if propane or chlorine had been released. The nuclear waste topic did come up in my research, and with mixed results. It is next to impossible to find out how much of each chemical or all the types of chemicals are being transported. This, in large part, is because of security concerns after Sept. 11. However, I found little to suggest nuclear waste would be shipped on trains that far north, although it is a possibility.
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Jon
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Great work Steve. I look forward to further reading. In the meantime, could you tell us how many 911 calls you listened to from that night when preparing your story? I'm guessing there must've been many.
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Steve Wagner
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Thanks, Jon, for the question. I spent the better part of two days listening to 911 calls. There were more than 2,800 calls to 911 the day of the derailment. In preparing the stories, I listened to calls on four separate 911 phone lines from 1:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. In total, I listened to more than 1,200 phone calls.
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Mark P.
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Is there any way that they could build the tankers with a double hull like they do with the oil ships? Also, couldn't the tanker carry something that would automatically neutralize the acid in such instances?
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Steve Wagner
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Mark, you bring up some good questions. In 1989, federal standards for tank cars were changed to improve the design and construction of the cars. However, there are a lot of older cars on the rails which were built before then. The cars in the Minot wreck are among those older cars. As far as neutralizing chemicals, I'm not sure how that would work. It may be possible, though. Another solution could be using alternative products for some chemicals. Since Sept. 11, a national group has lobbied for more safety precautions and partnerships between private business and communities. We touch on the subject in an upcoming story. If you have more questions about this particular issue after the series, please feel free to contact me.
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Sue
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We found your article very interesting, especially since we were directly involved in the accident here in Minot. Many of your comments/facts have not been published in the Minot Daily.
Would you care to comment on how CP Rail has responded to those who have been injured?
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Steve Wagner
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Sue, hope all is going well in Minot and thanks for taking time to respond to the stories. The first day included many facts that have not been reported. As the series unfolds, you'll read many more facts that haven't been reported to date. You bring up a good question about the railroad's response to those injured. Most people I've talked to feel like their questions have gone unanswered. The railroad, as I got further into reporting this series, did not cooperate with interviews about the derailment. Perhaps you'd care to share your story about the derailment or the railroad's response to your concerns. Feel free to call me toll free at (800) 747-7311 or email me.
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Jacqueline Behm
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Thanks for your excellant reporting. This has been a very trying time for many of us. Hopefully, in time we all will heal physically and emotionaly. It's too bad that our own Minot paper hasn't done a write up like this one.
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Steve Wagner
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I'm happy to hear the stories are being well-read in Minot, Jacqueline. I know your family has faced a lot of troubles from being in the cloud and I truly wish each of you the best. Your family has been through a traumatic event.
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Charlotte Towle
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I am a Pastoral Care worker at Trinity Hospital, one of the stories I heard was from a couple who were rescued by an Air Force Pilot with a gas mask.
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Steve Wagner
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Charlotte, thanks for your comment. I haven't heard about the Air Force pilot sharing a gas mask with a couple. Do you know anymore about this story or someone willing to share more information? I've also heard a story about a couple from Tierrecita Vallejo who drove out of the cloud early on and went to the Air Force Base. A helicopter pilot later flew the couple to the hospital for treatment.
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M. Olson
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Yesterday, as I was leaving downtown, waiting for a train and started thinking about the series. The train had 4 Anhydrous amonia tanker cars on it, and it made me think, this could so easily happen here in the middle of downtown Fargo, and it makes me wonder if we would be ready for it. Thank you for opening our eyes.
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Steve Wagner
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I think your concerns are on a lot of people's minds. We'll talk about local response capabilities Sunday and hopefully people will become more aware of the possibilities of a disaster. When we have public awareness, communities can better prepare and respond to emergencies.
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Phoenix, AZ
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Steve, Thank you for your excellent reporting of the Minot disaster. Thank you to the Forum for their support of your efforts. The Minot disaster should not have happened. Your articles should awaken the sleeping public, just as the people in Minot were awaken that terrible evening. My heart goes out to those in Minot who have suffered.
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Steve Wagner
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The train wreck shouldn't have happened, and a story in Friday's paper will show why. Thanks for your comments. This series, thanks to the efforts by a lot of people, shows how this tragic disaster really hurt a lot of people. For many people, including those who will be profiled in upcoming stories, life will never be the same.
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JS,Minot
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I would like to thank you for bringing all this information to light. Our home was in the plume and became contaminated through the fresh air intake to the furnace. My wife and I found out about the derailment at 4:30 by a telephone call. By this time the inside of our home was filled with a thick haze of ammonia. We ended up with a white residue over every surface of everything in our home. CP has been less than helpful. Our home owners insurance covered the decontamination but CP is fighting reimbursing them. I also have an issue with Minot's alarm system. It is my understanding that the alarm was only turned on once for a short time. The police officer on the record stated that it was only designed to alert those outside and not intended to inform those in their homes. His comment on this is bogus. They could have run the alarm constant and given us the chance to hear it. Do you realize we can't even buy a Fargo Forum in Minot? I found out about your series on Sunday and checked every news stand I could think of. Minot residents are being starved of this information. Again I want to thank you for bringing all this information together on your web site.
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Steve Wagner
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Thank you for your story and comments. Your story sounds like many of those I heard while visiting Minot.
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Sara
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Good work! Too bad a Grand Forks resident has to get the best reporting from a Fargo newspaper. Had no idea the accident was that bad.
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Steve Wagner
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Sara, most people had no idea how bad this train wreck was and I'm glad we've been able to help educate people. Thanks for the note.
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Jason Ness
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This is a very touching story. My heart goes out to all that were affected. I understand there was some resentment towards the efforts of rescue workers and the Local and Rural fire systems. I hope that everyone realizes that there is no way to be prepared for an event of this magnitude. How could a small town like Minot ever be prepared to handle what has been called the largest spill of anhydrous ammonia in the world? Also please dont forget about the handfull of rescuers that were injured while risking their own lives to help those they could. Like everyone else, they had children and spouses at home that were dealing with the same situation. How many of us could put our own lives and families to the side to help someone in need? Again, your story has been very emotional and I look forward to the future articles.
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Steve Wagner
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Jason, you bring up an excellent point about emergency responders. More than a thousand people reported injuries, and some of them were firefighters and police. We do address how Fargo-Moorhead firefighters would respond to a similar wreck, but you're right -- no one could expect any group of firefighters or police to be prepared for a catastrophic wreck like the one in Minot.
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W Howell
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Excellent articles, all of them. My wife and I know of the gas mask story, of the couple that drove out, of the Beechie girl, of Mr Grabinger.
We live now in fear of another incident, wherever it occurs, and have concerns for whomever it happens to.
The visions that night of that dreadful white cloud coming at my bedroom window will live in my memory until I die. I'm damn lucky to be alive.
I live 800 feet from "ground zero."
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Steve Wagner
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Best wishes to you and your family, Mr. Howell. I truly wish the best for everyone there at ground zero and after this series, I know a lot of people around North Dakota and Minnesota also share those thoughts.
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Stacy
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Just wanted to say that I enjoyed your article very much even though it's too bad that it had to be about such a terrible thing. Your reporting of the subject was thorough and interesting, especially to someone who had never heard about this incident until now. I am from central Minnesota and keep up with the news pretty well, but this I had never heard before. My heart goes out to all of those in Minot - so sorry it had to be your community. Again, Steve, wonderful job! Thank you for the hard work!
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Steve Wagner
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Many people never heard about the derailment, or didn't understand how big it really was. You're not alone in your sentiments, Stacy. This series took a lot of time and effort to put together, but it was worth every minute. We thought people outside of Minot didn't know how serious this wreck was. Hopefully, they know after reading about it in The Forum or on our Web site.
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Don Fuller, Palm Desert,Ca.
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Hi Steve; I have shown your story to other Californians and they cannot believe their eyes and what they are hearing. Great job keep up the good work. Its too bad that the Minot paper doesn't side with people rather than businesses. I grew up in Minot, worked at the Minot Daily News and Kenny Moe is my brother-in-law. I saw him in July and he is hurting. Thanks again.
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Steve Wagner
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Thanks for posting your comment. As you know, Kenny continues to struggle and get his life back to normal. The Forum chose to spend the time to tell his story and many others to help generate better understanding. Don, I appreciate the time you've taken to read the series and write.
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Celeste
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Steve, I'm a nurse, on Sun. eve when I got home from a latenight shift, I got to read your articles. I listened to the 911 calls, until I became so emotional I had to stop listening. You have presented a very compelling report. I felt as my family and I were there.
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Steve Wagner
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I've talked to several people who feel the same way as you, Celeste. Some of the calls are very powerful and emotional. It's important to point out that The Forum chose to write this series, and include the 911 calls, to help bring greater understanding to the issue of train safety and emergency preparedness.
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Jim Lewandowski
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Great series of articles. I am writing this from Omaha, Nebraska where I serve as Chairperson for the Local Emergency Planning Committee in my county (comprising Omaha). I was visitng Wahpeton, North Dakota this weekend and was glad I picked up a copy of the Sunday paper. I ordered the series and intend to present this case study when our planning group gets together in October. We have lots of Anhydrous Ammonia in our state and the potential for a similar incident. I hope you win the Pulitzer Prize for this. It is an important story proving that mishandled chemicals are dangerous, whether they are the more exotic type that we read much about after 9/11 or the ones in daily use that many people still take for granted. Citizens and the public safety agencies need to be prepared in case of a release.
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Steve Wagner
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Jim, I truly hope the emergency planners in your community can use this series as a springboard to talk about train and chemical issues. Thanks for the comments and please let me know how the discussions go in Omaha.
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Elizabeth
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How come you have never gotten any of the stories of the ammonia spill from the kids' perspective??
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Steve Wagner
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When we looked at putting the Minot project together, we wanted to report the best stories. We didn't target any specific population demographic, but I think it's important to point out one important element in the series: We told the story of 12-year-old Kelsey Beechie through her and her parents' eyes. I interviewed the Beechie family twice. When I wrote their story, I didn't quote Kelsey, but her input and perspective was woven throughout the story.
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