Weary N.J. residents angered by few derailment answers

• Crowd of more than 500 turn on officials during information session
• Evacuated residents near Paulsboro, N.J., derailment site are expected back home Sunday
• Coast Guard is still trying to secure a breached rail car carrying hazardous chemicals

GREENWICH, N.J. -- During an information session Wednesday night into last week's train derailment in Paulsboro, N.J., where several tankers carrying hazardous materials were left in a tangled pile, residents turned on the officials running the meeting and at times, on each other.

The crowd of more than 500 was aggressive.

"I don't want to hear that everything is OK," shouted Paulsboro resident Tony Bennett. "They need to wear masks and full protective gear to work near this chemical. What is it doing to us?"

One of the tankers carrying about 24,000 gallons of vinyl chloride -- a chemical used in the production of plastics that often is transported as a liquid -- broke open after the impact of the crash. Approximately 180,000 pounds of the chemical leaked from the tanker forming a toxic cloud that engulfed the area.

The leak did not exceed regulatory safety limits for the long-term carcinogen, officials said, but it did send more than 60 people to the hospital Friday.

Technical difficulties during the meeting prevented some residents from getting their questions answered right away.

But many of the residents, already showing signs of stress from living in hotels for five days, wanted answers now.

People screamed over officials who were speaking. Residents yelled: "When can I get back in my house?" and "Why should I trust you?"

Tempers even flared between residents. At one point, a police officer had to step between a man and woman who were arguing face to face.

Coast Guard officials have been working since Friday to secure a breached rail car carrying vinyl chloride. At the meeting, Coast Guard Captain Kathy Moore gave a brief update on the cleanup effort.

"We are finishing up part two of phase one, which is dealing with the product in the breached rail car," Moore said. "We were able to pump half a road car full of the substance we are using to dissolve the vinyl chloride into the rail car and we were then able to pump that liquid out."

Moore said the process was then repeated. But she said the estimated target to get residents back in their homes remains Sunday.

"We are making tremendous progress," Moore said. "Our goal is to get you back in your homes."

But residents such as Michelle Carroll wanted to know how safe she is living just outside the evacuation zone, which was expanded Tuesday to include a total of 150 homes.

"I need to know if I am safe in my home," said Carroll. "I want to know how they set up this evacuation zone."

One resident attended the meeting to learn more about what type of long-term effects the vinyl chloride would have on the community and nearby wildlife.

"They say it might not be hurting us now, but how about 10 or 15 years down the road?" asked Melissa Hazelton. "What is it going to do to the ecosystem and the wildlife here?"

Tables were set up so residents could talk one-on-one with professionals about topics such as air monitoring, community protection and the health risks of vinyl chloride.

"As the county is working in a support capacity to the agencies involved, we know our residents have concerns and we are going to work to get their questions answered in a clear and concise manner by experts in the field," said Gloucester County Freeholder-Director Robert Damminger.

Contributing: Joe Cooney, (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post