Second Evacuation Ordered for Train Derailment Cleanup

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Officials are evacuating more than two dozen homes near a train derailment that occurred two weeks ago in southwestern Jefferson County. Louisville-Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Jody Duncan says 31 homes within a half-mile of the derailment are being evacuated to allow workers to remove hazardous chemicals from some of the tanker cars.

Part of Dixie Highway closed at 6 am Eastern time, and nearby Ohio River traffic is stopped while the chemicals are removed. A previous evacuation emptied the town of West Point, requiring hundreds of people to leave their homes when a chemical fire erupted at the site, injuring three workers. Paducah & Louisville Railway spokeswoman Bonnie Hackbarth says the evacuation could last three to four days.