Tribune Editorial

Silver Eagle's tarnished safety record at its Woods Cross oil refinery would lead a cautious observer to suggest that there ought to be a blast zone free of homes on its periphery. Unfortunately, there is not an easy way to achieve that today, years after a developer convinced Woods Cross officials that it would be safe to build homes near the refinery.

The shock wave from an explosion at the refinery last week blew one home off its foundation, rendering it uninhabitable, and broke walls, windows and doors at others. The report was felt as far away as Farmington. Fortunately, the blast did not injure anyone. Federal regulators are investigating the cause.

To its credit, the refinery is standing the expense of repairs to its neighbors' properties, but that is not a long-term solution to the danger that the facility appears to pose.

Longtime residents of southern Davis County and northern Salt Lake City, where a handful of oil refineries are located, know from experience that the business comes with risk.