Chemical Spill

Around 6:00 Thursday morning, while loading a semi-tanker truck with the hazardous chemical, the loading valve malfunctioned, causing a spill. Around 500 gallons of liquid petroleum, called Dusty Stop, spilled into a ditch that is connected to streams leading to the Maumee River. The chemical is used to control dust on the highway, and because it is petroleum based, can negatively impact wildlife and even drinking water. Allen County and New Haven Authorities worked quickly to contain the hazardous material. Tony Burrus, Safety & Environmental Director of Allen County says “It was a faulty valve on the supply truck.” The spill was contained a few hours later, but clean-up crews spent the day working to prevent the chemical from spreading further. Burrus says “They are going to flush and pump the material from the ditch, and scrape some of the soil from the ditch, and take that to a certified permanent landfill.” Clean-up crews had to work quickly because rain showers made it easier for the chemical to spread to nearby streams. Burrus says “Yes mother nature is always a negative factor in spills.” Officials say there is no need for the community to worry; the spill was contained on the property. They will continue to conduct tests on the spill site over the next few weeks to make sure there is no reside in the ditch or streams.