Soda Springs, Idaho — A freight train hauling elemental phosphorus from Monsanto’s plant near Soda Springs, Idaho, derailed at about 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 14, temporarily blocking heavily traveled Idaho Highway 34, which runs between Soda Springs and Afton, Wyo., and past Agrium Inc.’s nearby Conda phosphate fertilizer complex. A light-duty locomotive engine and seven tank cars jumped the track intersecting Highway 34 near the Monsanto plant’s east entrance, but no one was injured and no contents were released from the cars, company officials said. The engine and two cars completely blocked both lanes of Highway 34. There were no evacuations. Plant crews worked in bitterly cold temperatures and thick snow with the assistance of two large cranes to get the engine and all of the cars back on track. By 6 p.m., the section of Highway 34 between Evergreen Lane and China Hat Road north of the local airport was reopened. A full investigation into the accident’s cause and possible preventive measures is under way, Monsanto Public and Government Affairs Director Trent Clark said. Ice buildup on the rails is suspected as a possible cause. Plant Manager Sheldon Alver said Monsanto was thankful for the rapid response and ongoing assistance provided by local law enforcement and county road crews. Caribou County deputies, as well as Idaho Transportation Department and Union Pacific Railroad personnel, were at the scene. “Their rapid deployment of traffic routing and detour signage helped us to focus on returning the cars to the railroad track as quickly as possible,” Alver said. “The safety and efficiency with which the response occurred can be largely credited to this very supportive partnership with our local government neighbors.” Ore from Monsanto’s open-pit mining operations in phosphate-rich Caribou County is brought to the three-furnace plant about a mile-and-a-half north of Soda Springs by triple trailer trucks from a haul road. The rail cars that derailed are used to ship phosphorus to Monsanto customers. County road crews rushed snow removal equipment to Meadowville Road – an alternate access route north of the Monsanto plant, which is not plowed during the winter – so traffic could be detoured around the derailment. Several large semi trucks, however, were forced to wait hours for Highway 34 to reopen.
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