Train spill imperils millions of dollars in Calif. desert crops

Train spill imperils millions of dollars in Calif. desert crops Toxic chemicals spilled during a Monday night Union Pacific derailment in the desert southeast of Los Angeles may have put nearby crops at risk, government officials told area farmers Wednesday.
   The 29-car derailment, which occurred in the desert city of Mecca about 130 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, spilled phosphoric and hydrochloric acid, which turned into toxic vapor clouds following the Monday night crash.
   People were evacuated from a nine-square-mile area surrounding the site. Officials Thursday said it could be several more days before residents and workers are allowed back into the area.
   While Riverside County officials said leaks from the chemical tank cars had stopped and the air was safe, government agencies would have to test all area crops to see if there was any contamination. In addition, farms within the evacuated area, many filled with crops such as cauliflower, lettuce and artichokes ready to harvest, have not been watered or tended since Monday.
   About 75 people remained evacuated from their homes Wednesday night as nearly 50 UP workers and private contractors continue to clean up the spills and offload the remaining chemicals in the train cars. Workers were covering the two acid spill areas on both sides of the tracks with soil.
   Phosphoric acid is used in the manufacturing of fertilizers, soaps and pharmaceuticals, while hydrochloric acid is commonly used in industrial processes and the commercial production of pharmaceuticals. It is more commonly known in its swimming pool additive form, muriatic acid. Both are highly toxic, especially if inhaled in a gas form.
   Rail traffic through the derailment site, where 2,000 feet of rail were damaged, was being rerouted around the spill area to BNSF tracks.
   The Federal Railroad Administration is conducting an investigation into the accident.