10 August 2004 CPR Tries to Calm Estevan Residents Estevan residents are concerned about the safety of a downtown railway crossing after six Canadian Pacific Railway cars derailed there early Sunday afternoon (8 Aug 2004), causing the evacuation of more than 150 residents from their homes and the closure of many businesses.   "It shouldn't have happened. There's so much dangerous stuff going through town it should be rerouted out; it shouldn't go through the centre of town," said Elizabeth Friswell, the owner of Cappuccino Corner, located two blocks from the railway crossing. "There's a lot of dangerous goods that go through this town on a regular daily basis that we're all getting concerned about."   Of the six cars derailed, five contained the hazardous chemical anhydrous ammonia - used in fertilizers and household detergents - and one car held insulation pellets, said CPR spokesperson Ed Greenberg. Three cars transporting the anhydrous ammonia turned on their side along the city's busiest railway crossing at 13th Avenue.   The City of Estevan, CPR, and the city's emergency departments are working to secure the area and are currently pumping the ammonia from the fallen tankers into new cars.   CPR assures residents that the evacuation in the three-block radius of the derailment is a precautionary move and everything is being done to ensure safety.   "Each year, millions of carloads of freight are moved safely across our network in Canada and the U.S. and unfortunately incidents like this one do occur time to time and when they do we take them very seriously," said Greenberg.   A major CPR derailment in 2002 involving anhydrous ammonia killed a 38-year-old man and injured many more in Minot, N.D.   In low concentrations, the release of the chemical into the atmosphere can have a pungent smell and can cause irritation to the eyes. High concentrations can burn skin and cause respiratory problems.   Estevan residents have nothing to worry about healthwise, said Greenberg, as the ammonia is still contained within the tankers.   By early Monday afternoon, one tanker had been emptied of ammonia. The first car had been found with a puncture hole but there were no ammonia leaks. CPR will continue to empty the remaining two cars and reassess the situation this morning.   Approximately 150 to 200 people were removed from their homes, including residents of a nearby seniors' facility. Sixty people registered at the Souris Valley Aquatic Leisure Centre as evacuees were found lodgings by the City of Estevan's emergency services. Other residents are staying with family and friends throughout the city.   Estevan Mayor John Empey said he has every confidence in CPR and the work being done to clean up and repair the damage.   "The initial fear was we knew it was anhydrous ammonia, we know that it is a fairly dangerous chemical given certain circumstances, we knew of the experience of Minot, North Dakota, and that caused some serious concern, but other than that there was no panic. Emergency measures people got into gear immediately, they got the evacuation undertaking in very short order and secured the area."