East Oktibbeha (Mississippi) Fire Department members were confronted with a serious fire and pollution problem when a petroleum tanker failed to negotiate an exit ramp on US Highway 82 in Clayton Village, MS. When the vehicle overturned there was considerable damage to the top of the tank trailer and some 8400 gallons of aviation fuel were loosed. Incident occurred on 8 Dec 03 about 8 pm.
The Driver was able to escape his wrecked cab but the Diesel engine was still running and the lights were on. Arriving firefighters were able to secure the scene, get the engine and electricity off, partially blanket the area with foam, dam up the runoff, stop traffic, etc.
The State Department of Environmental Quality, Region 4 Federal Environmental Protection Administration, and several private contractors quickly arrived at the scene and handled cleanup efforts. Over 800 tons of dirt were removed to a hazardous materials landfill and two vacuum trucks were used to reclaim spilled material.
These photographs taken by a Fire Department representative.
