No Ongoing Issues Expected After Railroad Shipping Container Explosion
Nebraska authorities have provided reassurance that Thursday’s explosion involving a railroad shipping container carrying acid, commonly used in explosives production, is not expected to result in any long-lasting problems. This confidence is rooted in the fact that the chemical largely burned off during the incident, and any remaining residue was effectively contained at the site.
The incident occurred within Union Pacific’s extensive railyard in North Platte. Fortunately, there were no casualties, and no structural damage occurred. A precautionary evacuation only affected a few nearby farmsteads for a limited time, as the fire took place on the western edge of the railyard, away from the town. Moreover, the fire did not spread beyond the shipping container that exploded.
North Platte Fire Chief Dennis Thompson expressed that this was the best possible outcome for such an event due to its isolated location and the rapid response from his hazardous materials team and other agencies, including railroad experts. Even a team from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, passing through the area on their way to a training session, stopped to provide their expertise.
Thompson stated, “Especially when we look at some of the incidents that we’ve seen recently around the country, this just couldn’t have gone any better. When we leave these things with no injuries or significant damage or loss of equipment or anything, or environmental impact, it’s a win by all means.”
In light of recent rail incidents, such as the fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio earlier this year, rail safety has come under national scrutiny. However, Thursday’s incident in the Union Pacific railyard was notably different and less severe.
The perchloric acid that ignited in the container, used in explosives production as well as various food and drug products, dissipated into the air as it burned off. Monitoring of air and soil in the area did not detect any dangerous levels of contamination.
Investigations by the state Fire Marshal’s office and the railroad are ongoing to determine the cause of the explosion.
Union Pacific managed to continue partial operations within the railyard during the incident, with full operations resuming after the fire was extinguished on Thursday evening.
Recently, the head of the Federal Railroad Administration raised concerns about numerous defects found among freight cars and locomotives in use at the North Platte railyard, the world’s largest, during a summer inspection. However, there is no immediate indication that these defects were linked to Thursday’s explosion.
The Federal Railroad Administration is conducting a thorough investigation to ascertain what transpired and whether any activities involving nearby railcars contributed to the explosion.
North Platte, a city with a population of around 23,000, is situated approximately 230 miles east of Denver and about 250 miles west of Omaha.