Tank car filled with acid leaks in Utah; no one knew which acid. [View All]

[NNadir]

This is a kind of classic story.

"SOUTH SALT LAKE — The finger-pointing was just beginning Monday as the cleanup of the rail car involved in a hazardous materials leak was being wrapped up.
A private company said the 13,500-gallon tanker that leaked Sunday, prompting evacuation of thousands of people and closure of I-15 and I-80, contained a mixture of acetic, phosphoric, hydrofluoric and sulfuric acids. Kennecott Copper owned the tanker but had subleased it to Houston-based Philip Services Corp. (PSC).
Kennecott said Monday the acid cocktail should never have been in its tanker. "They're hauling substances that should not be hauled," Kennecott spokesman Louie Cononelos said...

...One big stumbling block for the more than 100 police and fire personnel at the scene was not knowing the tanker's contents. Foote said the story from Philip Services kept changing.
"It was like going in with a blindfold," Foote said.
Initially, the company said there were two acids in the tanker, he reported. Later, two acids became four acids and even later ammonia was added to the list..."

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600117132,00.html

The tank was designed only to carry sulfuric acid.