Cononelos said Kennecott has 800 rail tanker cars in its fleet that are used exclusively for transporting sulfuric acid. Kennecott produces annually 1 million tons of sulfuric acid, which is used in the manufacturing of other products such as fertilizers by other companies, he said.

The company typically leases or subleases 100 of its tanker cars each year, he said. In this incident, three cars were leased to a firm in Utah that then subleased them to Philip Services in mid-February, Cononelos said.

The rail car that leaked had been in the yard since Wednesday and was being prepped for a trip to Ohio, Foote said.

The two other cars subleased by the company had already been moved to Ohio to a plant called Victory Environmental, he said. One car was outside the plant and the other was located inside. An embargo was placed on both tankers, Cononelos said.

He was unaware Monday whether those tankers were carrying the same acid cocktail or if they also experienced any leaking problems.

Cononelos said Monday he did not believe Kennecott had a long working relationship with Philip Services.

As for whether Kennecott would be taking any legal action for possible violations such as breach of contract, Cononelos would only say, "Our attorneys are looking at the matter. The major issue is the concerns taken for public safety.

"We rigorously comply with all applicable laws and regulations and maintain detailed compliance records to ensure our handling of materials is safe and reliable. We are reviewing those records as they relate to the Salt Lake City incident," PSC said in its statement.

A joint investigation was also expected to be conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Railway Administration, Foote said.

Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said his company Monday wants to talk to Philip Services. He said UP's investigation would center on whether Philip Services was being truthful in its manifest about what it was shipping in the tanker. That particular tanker will not be used again, Bromley said.

Foote said the container was weakened so much by the acid that his crews could stick a ballpoint pen through its metal wall.

The closure to the Roper Yard caused some backups on the Union Pacific line, mostly to coal cars, Bromley said. But because that area is not a main line for the railroad, the delays weren't major, he said.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the Salt Lake County Health Department were also at the leak site Monday, Foote said.

Someone will also likely receive a huge bill — one that could exceed $100,000 — for the cleanup effort, he said.

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com