A magnitude 5.7 earthquake in the state of Utah led to a chemical spill at a refinery near the town of Magna. Luckily, while the refinery was evacuated as a precaution, experts do not believe that the spill will have any long-term consequences. The Utah National Guard is on the scene to ensure safety.
The Chemical Spill
According to KSL News Radio, the spill occurred at a smelting refinery owned by the company Kennecott. The spill involved about 8,200 gallons of hydrochloric acid, out of a 12,000-gallon container which caused a smoke plume to form. Despite the large number of chemicals that were dispelled, officials did not believe that the spill posed harm to nearby residents because the hydrochloric acid was mostly contained and did not mix with another chemical.
Initially, many residents of Magna, upon seeing the smoke cloud, believed that its point of origin was a nearby mine, rather than a refinery. In the hours and days following the spill and earthquake, officials worked hard to dispel unfounded rumors. According to the area’s Unified Fire Authority Chief Dan Peterson, extra precautions were taken to ensure safety.
“We’re leaving six hazmat crews on site. We will continue to monitor and make sure there are no other challenges or problems.”
In addition to the hazmat teams, Utah Governor Gary Herbert ordered the state Nation Guard’s Civil Support Team to deploy to the scene of the accident.
The Kennecott refinery currently does not currently have a timeline for reopening.
An Earthquake in Utah
The spill was caused by a mid-sized earthquake on the morning of March 18, 2020. While the earthquake resulted in some damage and power outages for about 73,000 homes and businesses, there were no reported injuries, according to USA Today. One of the buildings damaged was the flagship temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is based in Salt Lake City.
While the earthquake and spill did not injure anyone, the commotion caused by the spill did pose a risk because of the current COVID-19, or Coronavirus, pandemic. Many people in Magna left their homes to check in on neighbours following both the earthquake and resulting smoke plume, a situation officials worried could help to spread the virus.
“If you’re out on the streets and you’re trying to just go out and look at the community, we don’t need that right now,” said Rosie Rivera, Sheriff of Salt Lake County, which includes Magna.
In addition to the spill, the Kennecott refinery had to deal with power outages and a gas leak.
While Magna, which sits just outside of Salt Lake City, was the earthquake’s epicenter, people as far away as Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming reported feeling the quake’s effect. It was the largest earthquake in Utah since 1992, according to the state’s Emergency Management.
