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Evacuation Order Lifted in West Point Train Derailment

Evacuations for the town of West Point, near Louisville, have been lifted and homeowners are being allowed back in four days after a chemical fire started at a train derailment site.

The Louisville mayor's office said yesterday that two rail tank cars containing hydrogen fluoride were moved and stabilized and all restrictions have been lifted, including a 1.2-mile evacuation zone and a shelter-in-place restriction for anyone within five miles of the site. However, the Dixie Highway remains closed. The fire burned out on its own yesterday morning as crews moved the two cars, which posed the greatest risk. Hundreds of residents were given little notice to evacuate on Wednesday after a worker's torch ignited fumes at the site of the train that derailed on Monday.

Shelly Baskin works in MSU's Office of Regional Outreach and is a graduate student in Occupational Safety and Health. A roustabout from Memphis, Tennessee, Shelly first found his way into WKMS through the newsroom back in 2011 through luck, charm and force of will. Though he left news for another position, he still enjoys working on independent radio projects and volunteering for the station. He’s an avid disc golfer and occasional real golfer and is terrible at both. A lover of all things musical, Shelly is always ready to hear something new and unique.
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