TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) found no contamination of benzene in the public water supply in the Village of Glendora following a Canadian National (CN) train derailment.

The derailment occurred on July 5 in Tallahatchie County. No injuries were reported.

On July 8, the MSDH Bureau of Public Water Supply collected samples from the Glendora public water supply to test for potential benzene impacts. Officials said CN Railroad personnel also collected samples at the same time from the same locations

The MSDH samples were analyzed by the Mississippi Public Health Laboratory, and the CN samples were analyzed by a third-party certified laboratory. The results of those analyses confirm no benzene impacts to the Glendora public water supply.

Out of an abundance of caution, and in an effort to ensure public health protection, the MSDH Bureau will temporarily increase the benzene monitoring frequency for Glendora from once every six years to annually.

If no detectable results for benzene are shown for three consecutive years, the sampling frequency will return to the regulatory standard of every six years.

The MSDH Bureau of Public Water Supply will continue to work alongside the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and CN until this event response is completed.
MSDH