Hazmat Spill Shuts Down Rt. 41 and Puts
Emergency Responders to Work

Date: June 2, 2008
By: Firefighter John Morris IV

..........Monday morning Avondale members along with Station 22 (West Grove) and Station 15 ( Chester County Hazmat Team) were alerted for a Hazardous Materials Incident at Route 41 just South of Old Baltimore Pike. The caller reported a tractor trailer tanker leaking approximately 1000 gallons of oil that was being hauled in the tank. Engine 23-1 made the response and once on scene established "Route 41 CP". Deputy 23 assumed command upon arrival and eventually handed it over to Chief 23. The engine crew immediately sized up the scene and realized they had approx 1,000 to 1,500 gallons of oil on the roadway draining into two storm drains. The driver of the truck stated that the truck was no longer leaking due to the oil splashing out of the top when he stopped for a red light. With this knowledge crews immediately began using "pigs" (used to contain spills) and formed dams around the drains preventing more oil from entering the storm drains.

...........Engine 23-2, Rescue 22, and Squad 23 arrived on scene and started utilizing their oil dry to reinforce the dams and create a more stable barrier around the storm drains. Hazmat 15-1 arrived on scene. Avondale crews pointed out that they had contained the oil on the road and had stopped it from continuing to enter the storm drains. However oil had entered the drains before the engine crew arrived and began draining into a stream across the street. Knowing this Hazmat 15-1 with the proper equipment laid down large pigs in the stream and stopped the oil from spreading. Hazmat 15-2 arrived on scene and assisted with containing the oil that had seaped into the stream. With such a large volume of oil on the roadway Containment 27 (Cochranville) was requested to assist with the oil cleanup. The nature of the incident and the amount of product on the roadway lead to the shut down of Route 41 between Penn Green Road and Old Baltimore Pike.

...........Numerous crews arrived from the trucking company and hazmat clean up teams to help clean up and reopen the roadway along with cleaning up the small section of stream that had been contaminated. A great effort by all crews lead to a successful containment of the product. Thanks to all the fire police for their assistance in diverting a large volume of traffic around the incident.

Units: Engine(s) 23-1, 23-2, Squad 23, Amb 23-1, Traffic 23, Chief 23
Mutual Aid: Rescue 22, Traffic 12, Amb 22 (West Grove), Traffic 25 (Longwood) Containment 27 (Cochranville) Chester County Hazmat Units 15-1 & 15-2, DEP, Penn Dot, PSP A.

Engine 23-1, 23-2 & Deputy 23 on Location........ The tanker leaked approx 1,000 gallons on rt 41

The Tankers Front Hatch popped up causing the..The dam that was built around one of the drains
oil to "slosh" out upon stopping for the red light


FF M. Stewart peers into the storm drain..............Crews work on stabilizing the situation

Chester County Hazmat 15-1 on location..............Chester County Hazmat 15-2 on location

The oil can be seen here stopped by a natural....Chief 23 talks to FF J. Null OIC of containment 27
dam. Crews installed more pigs along the creek

An ariel shot from a neighboring business............Crews utilized oil dry and a special broom truck
Crews work to clean up the oil spill........................to help with the cleanup

Hazmat teams applied special absorbing pads . ..Chief 23 overlooks the scene
to the contained oil.

The storm drains dumped into a small creek........Hazmat Cleanup crews
A large pig can be seen which was used to
help divert and absorb the oil.