I-Team: East Aurora train contained flammable, explosive materials

7 Eyewitness News has learned that despite a railroad company’s refusal to provide a complete accounting of the train’s contents, dozens of railcars that were pulled by the derailed engine were filled with flammable and explosive materials.

THE 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS I-TEAM HASLEARNED NEWINFORMATION ABOUTWHAT WAS ON BOARDA TRAIN THATDERAILED IN EASTAURORA MONDAYNIGHT.RAILROADEXECUTIVES HAVETRIED TO DOWNPLAYTHE DANGER.THEY SAY NO ONEWAS HURT AND THEREWAS ONLY MINIMALDAMAGE.CHIEF INVESTIGATORCHARLIE SPECHTTELLS US WHY THERESULT COULD HAVEBEEN FAR DIFFERENT.THE RECENT TRAINDERAILMENTSTARTLED EASTAURORANS LIKEMICHAEL JASON.IT WAS A VERY LUCKYSITUATION.

IT COULDHAVE BEEN A LOTWORSE.FIRE CHIEF ROGERLEBLANC WAS ONE OFTHE FIRST PEOPLE ONTHE SCENE.I STARTED CALLINGOUT FOR HAZ-MATTEAMS, NOT KNOWINGWHAT WE HAD, NOTKNOWING HOW MUCHFURTHER, HOW MANYMORE TRAIN CARS AREOVERTURNED.THE TRAIN'SCONDUCTOR SHOWEDLEBLANC A FLIGHTMANIFEST INDICATINGDOZENS OF TANKERSWERE FILLED WITHCRUDE OIL, PROPANEAND BUTANE -- ALLHIGHLY FLAMMABLEMATERIALS.PROPANE...I'MTHINKING, OH MY GOD,THIS THING'S GONNAGO.THANKFULLY, THEREWERE NO EXPLOSIONS,BUT RESIDENTS STILLHAD REASON TOWORRY...THAT'SBECAUSE WHILE SOMETRAIN CARS WEREEMPTY OR FILLED WITHWOOD LIKE THISDERAILED CAR,DOZENS OF OTHERSCONTAINED EXPLOSIVEMATERIALS THAT THERAILROAD HAS NOTDISCLOSED TO THEPUBLIC.THAT IS VERY SCARYBECAUSE IT COULDHAPPEN ANYTIME,ANYWHERE.

IT COULDHAPPEN TO ALL OF OURPEOPLE, IT COULD BE ACATASTROPHE.PAM BENNETT CAMETO THIS PARK ONGLEED AVENUE TOLOOK AT TWO OF THEDERAILED TRAINS.WE TOLD HER THECARS ON THAT LOADINCLUDED OIL ANDPROPANE...AND THATLAST NIGHT, THE I-TEAM SPOTTED MORECARS WITHFLAMMABLESUBSTANCES ROLLINGTHROUGH THEHISTORIC VILLAGE.OH MAN, WHAT AREMARKABLE MIRACLE.GENESEE & WYOMINGRAILROADSPOKESMAN MICHAELWILLIAMS REFUSED TOSAY WHAT WAS ONTHE TRAINS, OTHERTHAN, "THREELOCOMOTIVES, 66EMPTY RAILCARS AND32 RAILCARS LOADEDWITH A VARIETY OFCOMMODITIES."THE STATEMENT WENTON TO SAY,"RAILROADS DO NOTSHARE TRAINMANIFESTS WITH THEGENERAL PUBLIC FORSECURITYREASONS"...AND THATTHE "LOADED CARS INTHE TRAIN WERECARRYINGCOMMODITIES THATARE INTEGRAL TOMODERN LIFE."WHAT'S BEINGTRANSPORTED ACROSSOUR TRAINS?

AND ITSEEMED LIKE THEYWERE TRYING TOSNEAK IT ACROSS INTHE MIDDLE OF THENIGHT.RESIDENTS AND FIRSTRESPONDERS SAYTHEY DESERVENOTICE BEFOREANOTHERDERAILMENTHAPPENS...LIKE THISDISASTER IN 2013 INCANADA THATCLAIMED 47 LIVES ANDDESTROYED ADOWNTOWN.ANYWHERE IN THEUSA...ANYTIME THEY'RECARRYING THAT KINDOF PRODUCT ON ATRAIN, YOU DON'TKNOW WHAT'S COMINGTHROUGH TOWN.JUST IN THE LAST FEWMINUTES, WE'VE SEENANOTHER LOAD OFCARS RUMBLETHROUGH, THIS ONECARRYING DOZENS OFCARS OF PROPANE.

IWANT TO READ YOU ASTATEMENT FROM THERAILROADSPOKESMAN.

HE SAYS,"TRAINS ARE BY FARTHE SAFEST MEANS OFGROUND FREIGHTTRANSPORTATION.MUCH SAFER THANTRUCKS, WHICH ARETHE ALTERNATIVE.

FORTHE I-TEAM, CHARLIESPECHT, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.