Overnight Interstate Cleanup
A heavily traveled exit and section of Interstate 10 in Hancock County is back up and running smoothly again after an accident caused a detour lasting more than 24 hours.
Crews were out well into this afternoon cleaning up the remnants of yesterday’s hazmat spill from an overturned 18-wheeler at the Highway 607 exit to Stennis Space Center. That 18-wheeler was flipped back over and removed this morning after 4,600 gallons of the corrosive and flammable chemical was transferred safely to another tanker and other precautions were taken.
Corporal Benjamin Seibert with Mississippi Highway Patrol said, “It was an extremely hazardous material. It was corrosive and an inhalation hazard. In addition to the problems we had last night as far as dealing with traffic and our safety, now we have to protect the environment and try not to contaminate everyone else. They’re going to scoop up the soil that is contaminated from the spill as well as the asphalt.”
Officials say the chemical was so dangerous to inhale that had this not happened in a buffer zone free area, homes and businesses would have had to evacuate.
There were no injuries. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Crews were out well into this afternoon cleaning up the remnants of yesterday’s hazmat spill from an overturned 18-wheeler at the Highway 607 exit to Stennis Space Center. That 18-wheeler was flipped back over and removed this morning after 4,600 gallons of the corrosive and flammable chemical was transferred safely to another tanker and other precautions were taken.
Corporal Benjamin Seibert with Mississippi Highway Patrol said, “It was an extremely hazardous material. It was corrosive and an inhalation hazard. In addition to the problems we had last night as far as dealing with traffic and our safety, now we have to protect the environment and try not to contaminate everyone else. They’re going to scoop up the soil that is contaminated from the spill as well as the asphalt.”
Officials say the chemical was so dangerous to inhale that had this not happened in a buffer zone free area, homes and businesses would have had to evacuate.
There were no injuries. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
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