Styrenol accident in Wels: More and more poison discovered in groundwater

Styrenol accident in Wels: More and more poison discovered in groundwater

A serious incident caused excitement in Wels in September 2023. During a freight accident in Welschenau, toxic styrene came out in considerable quantities, which alerted not only the population, but also environmentalists. Initially, the amount of the triggered material was estimated to be around 40,000 liters, but current reports from the federal security investment agency now show that around 57,800 liters of poisonous material were actually released.

The public reaction to the incident was shaped by annoyance and concerns, among other things because of the initial poor information on the part of the ÖBB and the city of Wels. Critical voices describe the situation as a "banana republic" and complain about years of covering up. The online comments are clear and show the deep worries of the citizens in terms of the security and health of their surroundings.

Details of the incident

On September 29, 2023, there were derailment of several boiler wagons, which resulted in the exit of the dangerous substance. The uncontrolled leak out of the styrene not only made itself felt directly at the scene of the accident, but also seeped through the track bed and the surface to the groundwater. At first there was reports that there was no danger, but soon it turned out that the pollutant had already contaminated large areas of the groundwater.

A special company has been active since then to defuse the situation. With technical support, including the barrier and pumps, the experts are working to remove the toxic material from the ground. However, the "pollutant flag", which has been rapidly moving over the sheep meadows, has now withdrawn to a smaller area. The current hotspot of contamination focuses on the railway system and adjacent residential area.

information offers

In order to better inform the citizens, important questions, answers and a time expiry of the incident were provided on the urban website wels.at/styrol accident. There are also regular updates for spread and progress in the contamination measures. These measures are part of the efforts to regain the trust of the public and ensure that citizens are extensively informed about the risks and developments.

The situation remains tense and it remains to be seen how the measures to combat damage will develop. Ongoing information and developments can be found at www.meinbezirk.at be persecuted.