Hazmat spill - I80, Emlenton.

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TheJerk

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Tanker trailer over embankment, trailer split open, I80 closed both directions.

Contents: Hydrochloric Acid.

154.100, 154.235
 

HM1529

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Various news sources had the chemical spill reported as four different things: ammonia, hydrofluoric acid, sodium hydrogen chloride (huh?), and hydrochloric acid. I never understand how this gets messed up.
 

TheJerk

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Reading, PA
It was first reported (via placarding) to be hydroCHLORIC acid. They said 150 feet exclusion zone from the liquid...dad and I looked it up, and I believe we determined it was 300 meters for a large spill.

Later it was reported as hydroFLUORIC acid, which is one of the strongest acids produced. I also heard them state in the confusion anhydrous ammonia, which I know is nasty stuff and typically transported by rail.

I felt like the local 911 was grasping, like they had never encountered anything like this...it took them, what seemed like, a long time to actually determine what to do. I would wonder if they lost some of their edge since Pennzoil no longer has a presence to conduct mock drills and exercises for the local FDs?

It also seemed incorrectly reported initially...the initial call came in as a tanker that had split after going over an embankment, while all the pictures on the news I saw looked like the tank just broke in half on the highway.
 
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