Gloucester County named in newest derailment lawsuit

PAULSBORO Another wave of first responders involved in the November 2012 train derailment in Paulsboro has filed suit against Conrail and its parent companies. But this time, the responders are targeting Gloucester County, too.

Filed by 25 plaintiffs - many of them Washington Township firefighters and former members of the county hazmat team, and their family members - the suit filed earlier this month again raises questions about the hazardous materials squad's ability to handle the accident.

The early-morning derailment caused four tanker cars to fall into the Mantua Creek. One ruptured, leaking toxic vinyl chloride into the air and prompting evacuations in the area. In the aftermath, hazmat members contended that air-quality meters were inoperable and that batteries for breathing devices were lacking, jeopardizing their health.

Two dozen plaintiffs, many of them first responders, also filed suit last year against Conrail, which owned the swing-style bridge, which is now being replaced, and its parent companies, Norfolk Southern and CSX Corp. Both groups of plaintiffs are represented by lawyers David Cedar and Mark Cuker.

The latest complaint reiterates many of the same contentions but further places blame on a lack of plans, procedures, and equipment evaluations by the county. It also contends that the county did not offer medical examinations following the derailment.

Many responders reported breathing problems, headaches, and other ailments after the accident; Washington Township and Deptford members later quit the hazmat team. The county declined to comment on the litigation Wednesday.

A county-appointed panel that examined the hazmat team, its derailment response, and the fallout that ensued found in a 2013 report that the team's training program had declined in the years leading up to the accident. But county officials countered claims about insufficient devices by blaming "inadequate familiarity with the equipment."

An advisory council authorized by county freeholders is overseeing recommended changes to the hazmat team.

- Angelo Fichera