Investigators in Preble County said a semi struck a fertilizer storage tank and created a hazardous materials problem.
Firefighters said thousands of gallons of liquid fertilizer spilled onto the ground and was headed toward a creek. The incident happened late Sunday night near the village of West Manchester off Route 127.
Authorities said the liquid fertilizer is a common substance used by farmers in fields. They said it is not a problem when it is evenly dropped on a field to help crops grow, but it became a concern when 4,500 gallons of the liquid flooded the ground at once.
Farmers and firefighters brought in backhoes to help dam up the field and small drainage ditches that lead to Twin Creek. The chemical began to leak when a man, working on his own property, accidentially bumped into a storage tank valve with a truck, and released about 4,500 gallons of a nitrogen and phosphorus-based fertilizer, according to authorities.
The Preble County Emergency Management Authority and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency both went to the scene. Firefighters believe they kept the fertlizer out of the water supply, but they are worried about a fish kill.
At this time, they are waiting for daylight to assess the damage.
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