I-55 diesel spill clean-up delay explained - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS
Jackson, MS (WLBT) - The interstate tie-up from the overturned 18-wheeler Thursday was a headache for commuters and anyone traveling into downtown from the north all morning.
The clean-up took longer than most commuters thought it would. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said they would have responded sooner, but they were first told their services weren't needed.
The fuel tanks on the cab were not spilled in the accident. It was 100 gallons of diesel from the tank that cools the truck trailer that ruptured.
Crews from U.S. Environmental Services spent nearly five hours spreading a powder over a large area on the interstate to soak up the fuel and oil. The interstate didn't open back up until noon.
The D.E.Q. said they would have responded faster, but right after the accident, they were told the diesel spill wasn't that bad.
"We called initially at 3 this morning and they indicated it was a small spill and they didn't need any assistance from us. Then they called back around 5 once they assessed it more thoroughly and said it was fuel spill of some quantity and they needed us to come out here and help on the cleanup," said Shannon Lowery, an environmentalist specialist with the D.E.Q.
The diesel becomes very slick if it's not cleaned up, so they took extra precautions to prevent accidents later. There was also a large storm drain on that side of the interstate, and if any of that fuel got in there, it could infect other areas.
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