{"id":2053324,"date":"2023-10-03T00:59:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T04:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-pacific-says-leak-in-railcar-caused-disappearance-of-30-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate\/"},"modified":"2023-10-03T01:06:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T05:06:44","slug":"union-pacific-says-leak-in-railcar-caused-disappearance-of-30-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-pacific-says-leak-in-railcar-caused-disappearance-of-30-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate\/","title":{"rendered":"Union Pacific: Railcar Leak Caused 30-Ton Ammonium Nitrate Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Funion-pacific-says-leak-in-railcar-caused-disappearance-of-30-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2053324&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Commercial freight carrier \u2063Union Pacific Corp. reported that a leak \u200bin a sealed hopper railcar hauling 60,000 pounds \u2064of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lebanese-president-wants-probe-in-beirut-blast\/\" title=\"Lebanese president wants probe in Beirut blast\">ammonium nitrate<\/a> most likely caused the chemical to disappear\u200c during transit in early April.<\/p>\n<p>A Union Pacific\u2062 spokesperson told The \u200cEpoch\u200d Times that the company&#8217;s four-month investigation wrapped up \u2063on Aug. 21 and that the company \u200d&#8221;fully cooperated with authorities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c spokesperson said that &#8220;all\u2063 the available evidence suggests \u2062this was a leak that occurred \u200bfrom transportation \u2064from origin to \u200ddestination.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/explosion-in-union-pacifics-massive-railyard-in-nebraska-appears-accidental-investigators-say-5494546?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Explosion in Union Pacific&#8217;s Massive Railyard \u2064in Nebraska Appears Accidental, Investigators Say<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 9\/19\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/federal-railroad-administration-cited-serious-safety-concerns-days-before-union-pacific-explosion-5492783?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Federal Railroad Administration Cited Serious Safety Concerns Days Before\u200d Union Pacific Explosion<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 9\/16\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;Such a leak is unlikely to pose\u2063 any risk to public health or the environment,&#8221; the\u2064 spokesperson said. &#8220;Union \u200dPacific \u2063has no reason to believe any criminal or otherwise malicious activity took place \u200cduring transport.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On May 10, explosives manufacturer Dyno Nobel filed\u2063 an incident \u200dreport with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&#8217;s (EPA) National Response Center after finding the entire \u2062rail \u200bcar empty of its contents in Saltdale, California.<\/p>\n<p>The sealed Union Pacific railcar left the company&#8217;s Cheyenne, Wyoming, facility\u2062 on April 12, \u200btraveling 800\u2063 miles to its final destination.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Ammonium nitrate is a chemical\u200b in agricultural fertilizers that\u200b provides nitrogen for \u200cplant growth. It&#8217;s \u2063also used in small quantities to manufacture explosives and other products.<\/p>\n<h2>Leak Suspected<\/h2>\n<p>Dyno Nobel suspected that a \u200bleak through a bottom gate\u2064 on the multi-compartment hopper car might have developed during transit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;The\u200b initial assessment \u200cis that a leak through the bottom gate on \u200bthe railcar may have developed in transit\u2014releasing pellets totaling approximately 60,000 pounds onto the tracks\u200c over the two-week trip,&#8221; a company spokesperson wrote \u200cin May.<\/p>\n<p>According \u2062to New \u200dYork-based Nortech Labs,\u200d ammonium nitrate isn&#8217;t harmful under normal \u2064handling \u2062conditions.<\/p>\n<p>However, inhaling high concentrations of ammonium nitrate dust can cause respiratory tract \u200birritation and irritate the eyes, nose, and skin.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While ammonium nitrate&#8217;s\u2064 rating is \u2062nonflammable, the company noted that it&#8217;s\u2062 a &#8220;strong oxidizing \u2064agent&#8221; that can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-pacific-says-leak-in-railcar-caused-disappearance-of-30-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate\/\" title=\"Union Pacific: Railcar Leak Caused 30-Ton Ammonium Nitrate Loss\">make combustible materials catch fire<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Only under extreme conditions \u2064of heat and pressure in a \u2064confined space will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-beirut-blast-only-small-part-of-total-chemicals-unloaded-in-port\/\" title=\"FBI: Beirut blast only small part of total chemicals unloaded in port\">ammonium nitrate explode<\/a>,&#8221; it \u2062stated. &#8220;Should such\u2063 an incident occur, there may \u200bbe a visible cloud of ammonia, carbon \u200ddioxide, and nitrogen oxides.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In June 2015, the EPA,\u200c Occupational\u200d Safety and Health Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives issued an advisory regarding the potential for explosions involving \u200dammonium nitrate.<\/p>\n<p>While incidents involving ammonium nitrate are rare, &#8220;they can have severe consequences,&#8221; the advisory stated.<\/p>\n<p>One\u2062 incident occurred on April 17, 2013, when a fire \u2064at an ammonium nitrate storage \u2062and distribution facility in West, Texas, caused an explosion that killed 15 \u2063people, injured more\u2063 than 250, and damaged several \u200bbuildings.<\/p>\n<p>Officials at\u2063 the EPA and Dyno Nobel didn&#8217;t respond by press time\u2064 to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Dyno Nobel is a global commercial explosives manufacturer, producing more than 54 million pounds of packaged explosives and about 1.2 \u200dmillion tons of\u2064 ammonium nitrate capacity.<\/p>\n<p>The company operates in 32 \u2063facilities with more than 3,770 employees.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department\u200d of Transportation&#8217;s Federal Railroad Administration\u200c told The Epoch Times the EPA hasn&#8217;t responded to the incident &#8220;due to ammonium nitrate [common fertilizer] \u200cnot being listed as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/internal-biden-admin-memo-shows-they-actually-were-serious-about-banning-gas-stoves\/\" title=\"Internal Biden Admin Memo Shows They Actually Were Serious About Banning Gas Stoves\">hazardous substance<\/a> under \u200dfederal\u200b law.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;EPA&#8217;s role generally is to get involved when incidents \u2062raise\u2064 hazardous \u200bsubstance issues. That said, we are prepared to provide assistance should it be requested.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does this incident emphasize the importance of \u2064safety protocols and\u200d procedures in \u200bthe transportation industry, specifically for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-democrat-senator-urges-biden-to-reverse-on-keystone-pipeline-14-ags-threaten-legal-action\/\" title=\"Top Democrat Senator Urges Biden To Reverse On Keystone Pipeline, 14 AGs Threaten Legal Action\">hazardous materials<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nitrate is a\u200d stable \u2063compound that does not typically evaporate or disappear on its own. Therefore, the leaked chemical is believed \u2064to have \u2062been lost during transportation.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities and experts were called in to \u2062investigate the\u200b incident and determine the cause of the leak. Union \u2062Pacific Corporation,\u2064 a major commercial freight carrier, conducted a thorough investigation \u200cthat lasted for four\u2062 months, concluding on August 21. Throughout the process, \u200cthe company fully \u200ccooperated \u200dwith the authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Based \u200con the available evidence, Union Pacific&#8217;s \u2062spokesperson stated\u2062 that the most likely \u200dcause of the chemical disappearance was a leak that \u2062occurred during transportation from\u200b the origin to the final destination. The company\u2062 has no\u2062 reason to believe that any\u2062 criminal or malicious activity took place during the transport.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth mentioning that such \u200ca leak is unlikely to pose any risk \u200bto public health or the environment, according to the spokesperson. Although ammonium nitrate\u2064 can be potentially\u200d hazardous, the amount lost in this\u2064 incident is not significant enough to\u200c cause concern.<\/p>\n<p>The incident \u2062was first reported on \u2062May 10 when explosives \u2062manufacturer Dyno \u200cNobel filed an \u200cincident report with \u2063the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&#8217;s National Response \u2062Center. They discovered that the\u200c entire railcar, which had been sealed\u2064 by Union Pacific,\u200c was empty of its contents upon \u200barrival in \u2062Saltdale, \u200bCalifornia.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d railcar had traveled a distance\u200b of\u2063 800 miles, \u2064starting \u2062from Union Pacific&#8217;s facility in Cheyenne, Wyoming. During the\u200b journey, it \u2064is suspected that a leak occurred through a bottom gate in the multi-compartment hopper car, causing the pellets of ammonium nitrate to be released onto the tracks\u2064 gradually.<\/p>\n<p>Ammonium nitrate is commonly \u2063used in agricultural fertilizers to provide \u200bnitrogen for plant growth. It is also utilized in \u200dsmall \u200cquantities for the production of explosives and\u200b other products. Although the \u2064leaked\u200b amount may seem\u200d substantial, \u2064it\u200d is essential to consider\u200c that \u2063ammonium\u2064 nitrate is a stable \u2064compound \u2063and does not easily evaporate or disappear on its\u2063 own.<\/p>\n<p>As investigations into this incident continue, it is crucial for Union Pacific and other \u2063stakeholders in the transportation industry to thoroughly review their safety\u200c protocols \u200cand \u200cprocedures. This incident highlights the need for continuous vigilance in ensuring the safe transport of hazardous materials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commercial freight carrier Union Pacific Corp. concluded its four-month investigation on Aug. 21, stating that a leak in a sealed hopper railcar carrying 60,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate was the probable cause of the chemical&#8217;s disappearance during transit in April. The company assured that it had fully investigated the incident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":294,"featured_media":2053325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2053324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/294"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2053324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2053325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2053324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2053324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2053324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}