Two Railroad Workers Treated For Hazardous Material Spill At Ozol Yard

Two Union Pacific railroad workers and city and county safety officials got quite a scare Friday evening, when two men breathed a toxic material that leaked from a railway car in the Ozol switching yard.

The men were taken to county hospital and treated for exposure to Alpha-Picoline, a corrosive material used in the manufacture of pesticides and vinyl. A rail car with the compound in it leaked during a loading operation around 7 p.m., and the two men complained of respiratory problems, police said in a release.

As a result, the county Hazardous Materials team responded to the area, along with Martinez police, East Bay Regional Park District police, Union Pacific police and Consolidated Fire. The area was cordoned off and train traffic halted while the spill and its cause was investigated, police said.

All cars were found to be structurally sound, according to police, and it was determined that the chemical had leaked over the side of the train during loading. There was no ongoing leak that was found.

The material evaporated after being exposed to the sun, according to the release. The men were released from the hospital after being treated for exposure.