Lots of very good discussions here..... after all thats what this site is for. I learned a lot but I still have this question:

If the train derails and 'they' are concerned about hazardous chemicals, why would you add to the fire already in progress by detonation making the fire much, much worse? Who ordered the detonation?

I know the area well, I recently moved from there so I paid attention to the local news and I shrieked and gasped when I heard it was a 'controlled detonation' of hazardous material and saw the mushroom cloud that developed.