LIVINGSTON — This week in WBRZ history, more than 40 years ago, a train loaded with hazardous chemicals derailed in the town of Livingston.

Several cars containing petroleum exploded with a roar heard 20 miles away on Sept. 28, 1982.

In total, 43 cars jumped the tracks, with hazardous materials in 37 of them. As a result, 2,000 people had to evacuate their homes as firefighters and Louisiana State Police worked in the aftermath of the unprecedented disaster. 

State Police came up with a solution to deal with the spilled chemicals: setting an explosive charge on extremely flammable materials.

"A detonation of vinyl chloride has never before been done on this magnitude. Officials here say they're writing the book on how to deal with this chemical," WBRZ reported at the time. 

Fourteen days later, the fire was out, but the investigation into what caused the derailment was just beginning. 

"Two men who should've been operating the train were the engineer, 43-year-old Edward Robinson of McComb, Mississippi, and 31-year-old James Reeves of Summit, Mississippi," reports at the time said. "Illinois Central clerk Janet Byrd said that after hitching a ride, she was forced to drive the train when engineer Robinson collapsed in a drunken stupor."

The three employees were charged under a then-new Louisiana law that criminalized the "reckless handling of hazardous materials."

Illinois Central Railroad settled a series of lawsuits to the tune of $39 million in the aftermath.

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