BY MARYSVILLE JOURNAL-TRIBUNE
MARYSVILLE — First responders worked to cleanup U.S. Route 33 after a Marathon semi-tanker crashed late Monday morning, Oct. 23, in the median and began leaking fuel.
According to information from the Marysville Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Marysville Fire Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shutdown the highway as cleanup efforts continued after the tanker leaked a mixture of hazardous flammable fuel in the highway median. Agencies reported that the immediate hazard was contained and there were no signs of the liquid in area waterways.
Captain Nate Sachs with the Marysville Police Department said the crash occurred at 11:27 a.m. near State Route 36 and that three vehicles were involved. The driver of the tanker truck was cited for failure to maintain assure clear distance ahead after following too closely, and no injuries were reported. Sachs estimated that the tanker was hauling between 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of fuel. According to reports from OSP and MPD, the other two vehicles involved in the crash were reported to be a Dodge Laramie towing a camper and a commercial semi.
Officials estimated that the road would be shut down for a minimum of six hours as of 1:36 p.m., adding that it may be longer. Fire Chief Nathan Burns said that the spill has been contained.
“We do have the spill contained, so it is not leaking any longer,” Burns said. “We are working on coordinating with agencies for cleanup.”According to a release from city agencies, the EPA is working with specialized hazardous material cleanup crews on-site.
“They are evaluating the estimated volume of flammable liquid released into the highway median and developing a plan for its complete and safe remediation,” according to the release.
Marysville Superintendent Zack Howard said the schools considered early dismissal for students but due to traffic backups bus drivers were unable to get into a position to do pickups.
The police department and fire department were assisted on-scene by the EPA, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Ohio State Highway Patrol, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Emergency Management Agency and personnel from Marathon.
Lieutenant Matthew Himes with OSP said that ODOT set up detours at U.S. 36 and Route 4 for traffic traveling westbound on U.S. 33 and a detour was setup for eastbound traffic from U.S. 42 down to Route 161.
Further updates regarding cleanup duration and specific traffic impacts will be provided as more information becomes available. The crash remains under investigation by the Marysville Police Department.
For more, www.marysvillejt.com.
