On June 3, 2019, a railcar catatrophically failed when incompatible materials stored inside the car reacted and approximately 20,000 gallons of liquid waste derived fuel – fuel derived from hazardous waste – spewed from the railcar for 34 seconds. The eruption sent waste fuel several hundred feet into the air and ripped the manway hatch from the railcar. The hatch came to rest approximately 370 yards from the railcar. Droplets of waste fuel traveled more than 1/3 of a mile, landing on buildings, structures and vehicles near the facility. Agitators in several tanks were not maintained in functional condition. The facility was blending and storing incoming loads of waste fuel in railcars. A system of analysis was not in place to ensure compatibility of the blended waste fuel.
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