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EPA: Cleanup of spill complete

Hydrochloric acid didn’t get into waterways, sewers

WEATHERSFIELD — The cleanup at Predator Trucking, 1775 N. State St., where on Monday an estimated 2,500 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked from a tanker truck, has been completed, according to an Ohio Environmental Protection agency statement.

“The impacted soil has been removed,” Anthony Chenault, a spokesman with the Ohio EPA, stated in a news release.

Weathersfield fire Capt. Raymond Knepper said Chemtron Corp. of Avon arrived at the spill site shortly before noon Monday and its employees were still at the location when he returned about 9:30 p.m. that night.

“I went there again about 10 a.m. Tuesday, and the workers were waiting for additional material to use,” Knepper said. “At the time, they were estimating it would take several more hours to complete the cleanup.”

Representatives of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Profrac, the company based in Fort Worth, Texas, that was identified as owning the truck from which the acid leaked, were at the spill site on Monday when the cleanup began, according to Knepper.

The Profrac representative approved hiring Chemtron Corp. to do the cleanup and said the company would pay for the associated costs, according to Knepper.

Efforts by the Tribune Chronicle to reach a Profrac representative were not successful.

On Monday, fire officials said the leak likely was caused by a corroded valve or a bad seal that no longer was able to hold back the acid.

Knepper said HazMat crews from Trumbull County and the Vienna Air Reserve Station worked to dike and dam the spill area using hundreds of pounds of sand obtained from two local landscaping companies.

“None of the hydrochloric acid went out of the containment area,” he said. “None went into the area sewers.”

The cleanup involved removing all of the sand used in preventing the acid from spreading, as well as any dirt, ground covering and equipment that may been exposed to the acid.

“They then placed lime or an alkaline-based product on the area,” Knepper said. “There were two hot spots that were addressed.”

The Ohio EPA verified there was no odor or vapor released off site, no off-site liquid release, no waterway impact and no drinking water intakes impacted.

Knepper said the costs incurred by Weathersfield and other fire departments involved in containing the spill and the evacuation of the homes and businesses is still being calculated.

“At this point, we do not know what the cost will be,” Knepper said. “The cost for using different vehicles and equipment must be determined. We also have to include the cost of firefighters and EMS employees.”

The different organizations, such as Trumbull County and Youngstown Air Reserve Station HazMat squads, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office drone unit and others involved in Monday’s emergency, may choose to bill the company separately, Knepper said.

“I may not know the final costs, because they all will not come through this department,” he said.

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