Cloud of questions about toxic spill hovers over valley

It's disturbing enough to contemplate the hazardous and toxic materials that are trucked and trained through our Crossroads of the West. But what if the people who need to know the contents of those shipments can't readily determine what they are?

Some 8,000 Salt Lake County residents were evacuated from their homes and businesses Sunday morning after a rail tanker at 2270 S. 600 West started leaking acid. Early reports said the car was carrying hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Later, officials said the tanker contained phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, hydrofluoric acid and ammonia, with the acid at only 10 percent concentration.

Had firefighters and other emergency personnel had accurate information about the tanker's contents, hazardous materials teams could have formulated a more targeted response to the spill. Absent that critical information, the wisest course was "worst-case scenario." It's hardly the best use of public resources, but it was the most prudent option with the sketchy information that was available.

It's mind-boggling, though, that no one knew the contents of that tanker. Fire officials spent an entire day trying to find out from Phillips Services precisely what was in the tanker. Phillips Services, a hazardous waste materials handler based in Houston, had leased the tanker car from Kennecott Utah Copper. A Kennecott spokesman told the Associated Press that the railcar was designed for the transportation of sulfuric acid. The contents of the tanker, which are undergoing tests, appear to be a mix of acids.

However, Phillips officials say the load complied with U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines on the shipment of hazardous materials.

Regulatory agencies have plenty to sort out, it would seem. Meanwhile, what about hundreds of thousands of others that are in our midst in any given year? Was this an anomaly, or is there a widespread problem with not knowing the contents of freight cars and tankers rolling through our city?

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. heads a long list of officials and private citizens who want answers to these questions.

For me, it was a stark reminder of the hazards among us, which have the potential to harm or even kill us if something goes awry. Yes, we should be ever diligent about limiting the more high-profile threats — spent nuke rods, chemical weapons and hotter radioactive waste. But we must also insist that we are protected from the hazardous and toxic substances among us on a regular basis.