Liquid ‘Mostly Rainwater from (East Palestine Train) Derailment’
A tanker-trailer accident in Russell Township at about 5:15 a.m. Jan. 2 resulted in a spill of four to five gallons of hazardous waste that was contained at the scene, according to Geauga Public Health.
A tanker-trailer accident in Russell Township at about 5:15 a.m. Jan. 2 resulted in a spill of four to five gallons of hazardous waste that was contained at the scene, according to Geauga Public Health.
The Chagrin Southeast Regional Hazmat team also contained about five gallons of diesel that came out of the fuel tanks of the Kuhnle Brothers Trucking cab that was damaged when the southbound vehicle went off state Route 306 north of Music Street and hit a utility pole on the west side of the road.
GPH posted on its Facebook page Jan. 3 the department was aware of the crash and the Russell Township Fire Department, with assistance from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, is in charge of the situation.
“Geauga Public Health is in contact with Geauga Emergency Management Agency, Ohio Department of Health and OEPA to offer any assistance needed,” the post said. “OEPA has reported that the truck was carrying approximately 5,000 gallons of hazardous liquid waste that was mostly rainwater collected from the (train) derailment area from the ongoing cleanup work in East Palestine. It is considered to be a hazardous waste because it was not treated by the onsite wastewater treatment facility in East Palestine.
“Russell Fire Department is reporting that mostly diesel fuel was spilled. There were minor leaks of wastewater from the dome lid, but the hazardous materials teams onsite used containment basins to collect the leaking material,” the post added.
GPH Administrator Adam Litke said in a phone call Jan. 4 his department was not notified immediately of the spill — likely because it was just four to five gallons of liquid that was contained, as was a similar amount of diesel from the truck’s fuel tanks.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident and it was unlikely to be caused by icy road conditions, Russell Township Assistant Fire Chief Sam Brown previously said.
The driver of the truck was treated and transported to Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital by Russell Township paramedics, according to the fire department’s press release, adding multiple utility lines and a utility pole were down as a result of the incident and The Illuminating Company was contacted. The CSRH team contained the spilled diesel fuel.
The Ohio Department of Transportation tweeted traffic was rerouted from that section of Route 306 for the morning rush.
Representatives from the trucking company, Ohio EPA, Ohio Public Utilities Commission, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Valley Enforcement Group Accident Investigation Unit, Norfolk Southern, and utility companies all responded to the incident, according to the press release.
