The head of the state's top law enforcement agency said Friday he wants to find out why it took so long for local and state emergency officials to be notified of a North Charleston train derailment involving military munitions.
State Law Enforcement Division Chief Robert Stewart, who also is the state's adviser to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said, "We'll be looking into it to encourage a more timely notification."
On Friday night, almost 24 hours after the accident, officials finally said area residents were not in danger and no evacuation was needed.
The incident comes as local and state governments across the country complain they are not adequately informed of potentially hazardous situations in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
SLED wasn't the only agency left in the dark Thursday night. Top-ranking North Charleston officials, such as Mayor Keith Summey and Police Chief Jon Zumalt, said they were not told what was going on until after 2 a.m. Friday, more than five hours after the accident.
"We are already asking questions into why," Summey said Friday afternoon. "If CSX had knowledge that there was something that could pose potential danger, then we should have been notified immediately upon them knowing that."
Zumalt, who reviewed the city's dispatch log, said the first call from CSX came at 9:11 p.m. Thursday, about 41 minutes after the derailment. CSX advised the city of a possible derailment but did not request assistance, Zumalt said. City authorities were not told military munitions were involved.
Zumalt said CSX called back at 10:43 p.m. to say additional railroad personnel and the military were being brought in to help. Again, Zumalt said, no assistance from local authorities was requested. It was not until 12:37 a.m., he said, that the first local responders were sent to the scene.
Charleston County Emergency Medical Services wasn't officially notified of the accident until 8:30 a.m. Friday, though Director Don Lundy said he learned of the incident about eight hours earlier after his dispatchers heard talk of the derailment. EMS crews were sent to the scene Friday morning.
"It is a little unusual if there was a derailment and they knew there were hazardous materials on board," he said. "We certainly should have been notified if that was the case because then there is the possibility for a lot of bad things to happen."
CSX spokeswoman Jane Covington said that during the time leading up to the first call to authorities, officials were evaluating the situation.
"We had folks inspect the scene," she said, "and we didn't know if there was a public and health danger."
Between 9:10 and 9:40 p.m., Covington said, railroad officials discovered that the cargo on the train was military ordnance. At 9:40 p.m., Covington said, the CSX police contact center was brought to the scene and the Charleston Naval Weapons Station was contacted.
Weapons station spokeswoman Susan Piedfort, however, said the station was not notified until shortly before 5 a.m. Friday.
At 10 p.m., CSX officials contacted the military traffic command, Covington said. From there, she said the military handled its own commands involving personnel. CSX officials would not specify when the Department of Defense officially took control of the scene and the cleanup.
"We want to emphasize that this was a coordinated effort by us, the military and local law enforcement," said CSX spokesman Adam Hollingsworth. "The communication was done quickly, and everything worked the way it was supposed to."
Some residents in the surrounding communities said they were alarmed that no one bothered to contact them.
"Why not tell the public?" said Crestline Drive resident Ruth Hawk, whose yard almost touches the rail yard. "Maybe I would have gone somewhere last night. What are we, 50 feet away, maybe 100 feet?"
Several City Council members said Friday that when issues affect the city and its residents, city officials need to be in the loop immediately.
"It is just ridiculous," Councilman Steve Ayer said. "As soon as it happened, whether it is this city, Charleston or wherever, the municipality involved should be notified immediately.
"Luckily nothing happened," he said.
"It is very serious situation when 13 cars go off the rail," Councilman Bob King said. "That is a community disaster."
