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Over 30 tons of ammonium nitrate was reported missing from a freight train when it arrived at a rail stop in Saltdale, California, last month. Explosive manufacturing company Dyno Nobel reported the missing chemical, which is commonly used in fertilizers but is also highly combustible, to the federal government.
The company said that the railcar left Cheyenne, Wyoming, on April 12 carrying 60,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. However, the rail cars were empty when the train arrived in Saltdale.
"The railcar was sealed when it left the Cheyenne facility, and the seals were still intact when it arrived in Saltdale. The initial assessment is that a leak through the bottom gate on the railcar may have developed in transit," the company said.
In an incident report filed with the National Response Center, Dyno Nobel said that the chemical was released "due to an unknown cause."
Union Pacific, which was operating the freight train, said there was no risk to the public.
"The fertilizer is designed for ground application and quick soil absorption. If the loss resulted from a railcar leak over the course of transportation from origin to destination, the release should pose no risk to public health or the environment," Kristen South, a spokesperson for Union Pacific, told NBC News.
"At this point in the investigation, we do not believe there is any criminal or malicious activity involved," South added.