Railroad company sued after derailment and chemical spill in Kentucky

A week after a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in a small Kentucky town, two residents have sued the railroad company CSX, alleging it was negligent and exposed them to ultrahazardous chemicals.

A week after a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in a small Kentucky town, two residents have sued the railroad company CSX, alleging it was negligent and exposed them to ultrahazardous chemicals.

Two of the 16 CSX train cars that derailed were breached, spilling molten sulfur. They caught fire and burned for 24 hours, releasing toxic levels of the gas sulfur dioxide into the nearby town of Livingston.

Two residents of Rockcastle County accused CSX of exposing them to substances that "have been proven to cause long-term medical problems for humans" in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Eastern Kentucky.

The rail company said last week that molten sulfur is known to release sulfur dioxide when it burns.

CSX encouraged residents in Livingston to evacuate, causing more than 100 people to spend their Thanksgiving in hotel rooms in Mount Vernon, the railroad operator said last week.