FRANKLIN COUNTY - An 80-car Union Pacific train transporting hazardous material derailed near Zeigler early Monday morning, sending 21 railroad cars careening off the track and resulting in the evacuation of approximately 100 residents.

The derailment also resulted in an extended weekend for approximately 600 students in the Zeigler-Royalton Unit K-12 complex that is located less than three miles from the site.

Ryan Buckingham, director of Franklin County Emergency Management, said the exact location of the derailment was approximately two miles south of Christopher and two miles east of Route 148. The derailment took place near Mitchell Lake, causing additional concern for emergency and hazardous material workers who braved temperatures hovering in the teens to begin the tedious clean-up process.

Buckingham said a "voluntary evacuation" began shortly after 3 a.m. only minutes after authorities were notified of the accident. Approximately 70 homes were evacuated to a temporary shelter that was set up at the Christopher Community Center.

"We decided it was in the best interest of public safety to evacuate the residents from the immediate area," said Buckingham. "We used our 911 mapping system to determine how many homes we would evacuate by using emergency response guides. We had great cooperation throughout the county with all of our emergency responders."

James Barnes, Director of Media Relations with Union Pacific Railroad, said the cause of the derailment was under investigation.

"We just want to make sure people are as safe as possible," he said, "which is why we got together with local authorities and evacuated all residents within a half-mile radius in an effort to secure the area."

Barnes said it may take the company days before the wreckage is removed and the railway repaired for further use. Barnes also confirmed that phenol was spilled in the derailment. Phenol is a poisonous, white, crystalline compound derived from benzene and used in various resins, plastics, disinfectants and pharmaceuticals. The train was en route from Houston to Chicago.

"We use this particular route an estimated 20 times per day," Barnes said. "That's what we would term medium volume traffic."

The railroad transports a wide array of items such as coal, automobiles, lumber and ethanol, Barnes said.

Tracy Karnes, an EMT with Mercy Regional Ambulance, said 11 of the evacuated residents were transported to local hospitals with various complaints. Karnes said six were taken in private vehicles and five were taken by ambulance. She said most were complaining of irritation to their eyes, throat, nose and skin. All the individuals who sought medical assistance were treated and released, Karnes said.

Immediately after the derailment Franklin County authorities quickly cordoned off the site blocking entrance to Yellow Banks Road from both Route 148 between Christopher and Zeigler and from Route 37 between Benton and West Frankfort. Yellow Banks Road is a frequently traveled road that allows drivers to travel from Route 148 to Route 37 while bypassing both Christopher and Benton.

On Dry Road, only a short distance from the derailment site, more than a dozen tractor-trailer trucks that had hauled the huge heavy equipment to the site could be seen.

Buckingham said several private businesses responded with food and drinks for those displaced from their homes and from workers at the scene. At midday more than 100 meals had been served from the Christopher site by local volunteers from the American Red Cross.

Speaking at a press conference that was held at the community center, Craig Lemmon, a lieutenant with the West Frankfort Fire Department, said he received the initial call at 2:50 a.m. and responded to the scene. Lemmon said the force of the derailment had pushed some railroad cars on top of other cars. He it was immediately determined that a "haz-mat (hazardous material) incident" had taken place.

Lemmon said three of the 21 overturned cars that overturned were carrying hazardous products overturned and said the hazardous materials included alkylphenol and lubrisol. Alkylphenols are used as antioxidants in plastics and rubber products and lubrisol is an oil additive. Both are liquids, Lemmon said.

There are no fires involved with the derailment and the spilled liquid is confined to a single area, Lemmon said. There is also no danger of any contamination to Mitchell Lake, located only a short distance from the wreckage.

Kevin Turner, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, also appeared at a midday press conference.

"We are looking at this not only from the human health perspective but also from the environmental perspective," said Turner. "Of the 21 cars derailed there are only three that we are really concerned about. Two of these cars contain lubrisol, a petroleum product used as an additive for lubricating oil. The other car of concern contains alkyl phenol, it is in a tanker car and it is a corrosive liquid. We are doing air monitoring with all three cars."

Turner said air results at midday were negative at the site.

"That's very good news," said Turner. "The other good news is that it is cold outside so therefore this stuff does not react like it would if it was 90 degrees. That is something that is also in our favor."

Turner said much work lies ahead for the large number of workers involved in the clean up effort.

"It is a complete mess back there and it is going to take a long time to clean up," said Turner. "Folks that live in that area should be prepared because there is going to be a lot of equipment, a lot of people and a lot of activity to get this cleaned up."

(The Southern's John Homan contributed information to this story.)