Source: http://www.theintell.com, February 10, 2017
By: Kyle Bagenstose
A tanker truck that overturned on state Route 611 in Warrington on Thursday night spilled at least 4,000 gallons of gasoline into a storm drain, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said Friday morning.
The incident snarled morning rush-hour traffic Friday, and northbound 611 between Valley Square Boulevard and Bristol Road was to remain closed until about 6 p.m. as cleanup continued, according to a Facebook post by Warrington Township Emergency Management.
DEP community coordinator Virginia Cain said investigators think the fuel spill was entirely contained to a stormwater basin, which a contractor worked to clean overnight. Fire officials at the scene Thursday said about 4,000 gallons had spilled, although the DEP said there were conflicting reports about how much has spilled, and it could be more. Cain said the DEP would release a definitive report later Friday.
“It is believed that the product was confined to a basin. DEP worked through the night with the Bucks County Haz-Mat to monitor for product and volatile organic compounds,” Cain wrote in an email. “Lewis Environmental was contracted to assist with removing the remaining product from the tanker and vacuuming product from the basin.”
However, Cain wrote the DEP has resumed its investigation today to “monitor area waterways for impact.”
According to reports from the scene and further information provided Friday by the DEP, the tanker truck collided with another vehicle around 8 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Route 611 and Freedom’s Way. It then flipped onto its side, causing a tear in the outer tank wall and spilling the fuel.
There appeared to be some good fortune, though, as the truck came to rest directly atop a storm drain that led to the stormwater basin where the fuel was reportedly contained. Cleanup crews conducted testing to ensure the fuel had not moved beyond the basin, and also vacuumed about 100 gallons of fuel that remained in the truck, according to the DEP.
What is unclear is the condition of the individuals involved in the crash. A report provided by the DEP states that one driver was injured and lists the number of fatalities as zero. It provides no further information on what caused the crash, the severity of the injury, or which driver was injured.
The truck belongs to Coraluzzo Trucking, of Vineland, New Jersey. The company is listed as a “potentially responsible party” in the DEP’s report. An employee in the company’s safety division referred questions to Steve Coen, the company’s safety director, who the employee said had been “out all night” at the scene.
A voicemail left with Coen on Friday morning was not immediately returned. A voicemail left with the Warrington police seeking additional details Monday morning was also not immediately returned.
The spill did cause the temporary evacuation of about 120 nearby residents, who were sheltered at Tamanend Middle School until authorities allowed them to go home around 3 a.m. Friday.
Warrington Township Emergency Services said that residents may notice an odor of gasoline in the area of the crash for a period of time until the environmental firm hired to finalize the cleanup finishes its work.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.