MISSOULA — A hazardous waste spill which closed the intersection of Russell and Railroad St. in Missoula late Tuesday night has been cleared and cleaned.
Missoula Environmental Health Specialist Jim Erven was called out to the scene where a Sweet Pea truck had overturned and spilled 1,000 gallons of sewage onto the tracks and surrounding area.
Erven says their first goal was making sure that surface areas that are contaminated are properly decontaminated with lime. He says the affected area was well contained, and cleaned thoroughly.
“Our first primary concern is making sure that we don’t have any wells or surface waters that are going to be contaminated," Everen said. "Out there, ground water’s pretty deep, and we didn’t happen to have any wells nearby that were at risk so, and of course there aren’t any surface waters nearby, so the spill was pretty well contained and did not present any immediate risk to environmental or public health.”
Erven says that no clean-up of sub-surface soils will be necessary.
Missoula police say there is no additional information about the crash at this time, including whether the driver that fled was apprehended.
