Flames lit the night sky in Juab County on Sunday night when authorities detonated 11 leaking train cars that derailed early Saturday.
The Environmental Protection Agency made the decision to “intentionally breach and thermally treat” nine tankers filled with propane and two filled with biodiesel fuel and then “remotely ignite the liquid that is released," according to an agency release. The cars were showing “signs of instability” and posed a threat to crews working to clean up the wreckage.
The explosion was set off about 9:30 p.m. Sunday; the Union Pacific train cars were allowed to burn themselves out. Cleanup is planned for Monday.
On 9:24 a.m. on Saturday, 24 cars of a 165-car Union Pacific freight train derailed while traveling southwest through an area of Juab County called Jericho, about 12 miles north and east of the town of Lynndyl in Millard County. Two people were on the train at the time of the crash, and neither were injured.
According to the EPA, in addition to the 11 cars that were detonated, four of the 24 cars that derailed carried monoammonium phosphate fertilizer, one with phosphoric acid, one with soda ash and seven with cars of non-hazardous materials. The phosphoric acid car was pulled away from the other cars before the charges were set off.
In addition to the EPA, several emergency response agencies responded to the derailment, including multiple police and fire departments, Utah County Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, the the Utah Fire Marshall’s Office, National Guard Civil Support Team, Union Pacific, various Union Pacific response contractors, Federal Railroad Administration.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
