Woods Cross to discuss blast

Tuesday, the Woods Cross City Council will hold a special meeting to canvass the recent election and to discuss Thursday's explosion at the Silver Eagle Refinery.

The meeting will be held at Woods Cross Elementary School, 745 W. 1100 South, and will begin at 6:30 p.m.

An explosion at the Silver Eagle Refinery, Utah's smallest, rocked Woods Cross about 9:15 a.m. Thursday, breaking windows and rendering two homes uninhabitable. The blast was felt as far away as Kaysville.

It was the second incident at Silver Eagle this year. In January, a flash fire seriously injured four workers and led to widespread evacuations.

The Woods Cross mayor and five-member City Council say they're committed to preserving the safety and health of Woods Cross residents and will work to help Silver Eagle Refining meet its obligations to them.

In a statement released Friday, the city's elected officials thanked emergency workers and expressed relief that there were no serious injuries.

"As members of this community, we are proud of our residents and city employees who responded to the immediate needs of their neighbors," the officials said. "They are to be commended for their selfless and timely help. Their many acts of nameless service are part of what make this community great."

But the officials say they recognize that Silver Eagle Refining has a commitment to immediate and long-term needs of residents who were affected by the explosion.

And Woods Cross promises to help Silver Eagle in that commitment.

Silver Eagle says it is still gathering facts about why the explosion, blamed on leaking hydrogen, happened, and says it has contracted with a disaster cleanup company to help residents whose homes were damaged.

Residents in the explosion's blast zone held a community meeting Thursday night to discuss future dealings with the city and the refinery.

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