Railcar Leaking Toxic Chemical Forces Evacuation
of more than 6,000

Fifteen hours after the leak was discovered officials were still uncertain of the contents of the leaking tanker but hazmat crews were forced to pump the contents into portable tanks when they found the tanker walls softening.

The cargo manifest said the contents were sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids; the company told them it was hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, nitric and sulfuric acids of industrial waste. The company corrected itself later saying the contents were phosphoric, acetic, sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids, and ammonia — all at a concentration of only 10 per cent. Officials spent all day trying to find out from Phillips Environmental what the tanker actually contained and at what level.

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said "It's tough to know how to respond if you don't know the contents of the bulk container, " "We're talking about people's lives here." Six thousand area residences downwind from the leaking tanker were evacuated when the tanker walls began to soften, when the contents became questionable and the information they were given conflicted with their own observations.

Fire Chief Steve Foote said "The rules are absolutely specific," about detailing contents being shipped, Foote said. "Somebody dropped the ball here."

Union Pacific's spokesman Mark David said "We will have a lot of questions for this company". "It's very important that we get the correct commodity."