HAZARDOUS SPILL ON 36

(DECEMBER 12TH, 2007)




For the second time in a week an 18-wheel tractor trailer has overturned on State Highway 36 and spilled hazardous materials.

Just after 1:30 yesterday afternoon the driver of a tractor-trailer drifted from his lane, overcorrected and overturned.

The accident struck a hole in the tanker, leaking about 2500 gallons of methanol on to the Burleson County roadway, Lyons.

Troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety determined that about five-thousand gallons of the chemical was spilled.

The methanol streamed towards Ryan Creek, keeping HAZ-MAT teams and environmental crews working through the night in the clean up.

DPS trooper Michael Monaghan said that the methanol sinks to the bottom of the creek and they can use backhoes to damn up the creek.

Emergency crews shut down the area roads and alerted nearby residents. About 20 residents had to be evacuated but most of them were able to return to their homes by eight last night.

A week ago a tractor-trailer carrying jet fuel overturned on Highway 36 in Milam County near Milano.

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According to my maps Ryan creek is connected to Davidson Creek which is connected to Yequa

Tony

this is happening too much, seems like a weekly event. Sad

Well if they drive on 36 like they drive on every other road in TX it is no wonder. These truckers and their companies need to be held accountable and fined for these spills.

http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-12-06/news/toxic-town/

Did you see the article in the Houston Press about the cancer deaths in Sommerville - supposedly due to pollution by the tie plant? Interesting read.

That is a real bummer.

Maybe they will do something besides study it?

COMMISSION TO STUDY SPILL

(DECEMBER 13TH, 2007)



While Burleson County residents near the area along highway 36 where a 18-wheeler overturned and spilled at least 2500 gallons of methanol, have come back home, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality want to know the long lasting affects the spill.

The Commission has ordered that all the water from Ryan Creek be pumped out and tested.

Crews are pumping out the water which will be tested. Officials say the hazardous material has already killed several fish.

The Commission will then test the soil.

About 20 nearby residents were evacuated because of the spill, but they came back home on Tuesday.

Officials say the driver of the truck, was traveling north on highway 36 when he lost control. The truck slammed into a guardrail and landed on its side, dumping the hazardous material on the road. The driver was not injured.

The methanol vapors have dissipated and authorities are they are no longer harmful.

I don't know what type of chemist said that methanol would "sink to the bottom of the creek" but I can make a guess, a very bad one. Not only is methanol lighter than water, it would mix with water.

Has anyone ever thought about how other people drive around these big trucks. Alot of times when trucks wreck, its due to 1 of 2 things. 1 Driver Fatigue, or 2 the driver avoiding an accident with another vehicle. Don't get me wrong, there are bad drivers of trucks out there also, but most don't wanna kill innocent families or thereselves. The companies and drivers are held accountable. I drive a truck for a living, and I'm cut off by impatient people everyday. It happens alot. The spill will be cleaned up, and paid for by the company, I'm glad nobody was killed.

I dont drive a truck, but am on the highway alot. I see trucks get cut off alot. It is insane to play chicken with something that weighs 80,000 lbs and is moving at 70 mph

I've been in the oil industry hauling for 11 years now. I've seen too much to type here. I'm glad no one was hurt or killed. And as Tony said " It is insane to play chicken with something that weighs 80,000 lbs and is moving at 70 mph." Give us some room people we want to go home just like you.

Was it ethanol or methanol???????????

By the way, methanol or ethanol will mix in any proportion with water. In other words, IT WON'T SINK!!!!!!!!!!