Kentucky Homes Evacuated for More Derailment Cleanup

Officials are evacuating more than two dozen homes near a train derailment that occurred two weeks ago in southwestern Jefferson County, Ky.

The evacuations Tuesday are to allow workers to remove hazardous chemicals from some of the tanker cars. Part of Dixie Highway will be closed starting at 6 a.m. EST, and nearby Ohio River traffic will be stopped while the chemicals are removed.

Louisville-Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Jody Duncan says 31 homes within a half-mile of the derailment will be evacuated. A previous evacuation emptied the town of West Point, requiring hundreds of people to leave their homes when a chemical fire erupted at the site, injuring three workers.

Paducah & Louisville Railway spokeswoman Bonnie Hackbarth says the evacuation could last three to four days.