March 29--A tanker truck overturned this morning on state Route 94 just south of York Springs, spilling thousands of gallons of milk into a nearby tributary.
Pennsylvania State Police who assisted at the scene said it would take several hours to clear the wreckage, and the stretch of road near the crash site -- at Route 94's intersection with Baltimore Road -- could remain closed to traffic during much of that time.
Capt. Andy Wolfe of the York Springs Fire Department said about 4,000 gallons of milk spilled into the stream that flows from the Huntington Township crash site to Lake Meade.
Crews were working at the scene around lunchtime to contain that spill, but Wolfe said the process could take hours.
"It's
as bad as any HazMat spill," Wolfe said, explaining the milk takes oxygen out of the water "and kills everything in it."
"It's a big deal," Wolfe said.
Wolfe said officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Transportation were at the scene. An area-wide response including emergency crews from as far away as Carlisle, Dillsburg, McSherrystown and Gettysburg were called, both to help address the spill and to control traffic.
At the scene, crews struggled to reroute traffic through the area, with a specific focus on how to funnel traffic in and out of nearby Bermudian Springs School District.
Police at the scene could not immediately say what caused the tanker belonging to
Clouse Trucking Inc. of Carlisle to crash, but said the single-vehicle crash resulted in no injuries.
A subsequent release from state police said the driver of the 1991 Mack milk truck was traveling south when the driver of a truck in front of him hit the brakes suddenly. The milk truck driver avoided hitting the other vehicle, but exited the west side of the roadway where the truck overturned.
The driver of the truck was taken by state troopers from the scene for blood testing, in accordance with standard procedure for crashes involving commercial vehicles. Police said there was nothing to indicate the driver, who was not immediately identified, was under the influence of any substance.
Wolfe said emergency crews would try to contain the milk spill using sand and plastic materials.
"Basically, we have to build a dam," he said. "Quickly."
DEP has procedures for removing milk from water, based on the heavier weight of the milk, Wolfe said.
A DEP spokesperson did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
It was unclear early Thursday afternoon if Bermudian Springs School District would be adjusting its schedule. A representative from Clouse Trucking said Thursday afternoon no one was available to comment on the accident.
Copyright 2012 - The Evening Sun, Hanover, Pa.
