Questions Abound About Highway Spill
Sunday, August 18, 2013 @ 5:57 AM
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Rig involved in Friday spill remains in ditch opposite Prince George Airport. Photos 250 News
Prince George, B.C. – Several questions remain to be answered concerning the single-vehicle accident and resulting chemical spill on the Old Cariboo Highway, 1.5 kilometres south of Giscome Road.
A flatdeck tractor-trailer left the road around 6 am Friday and wound up in the grass in the ditch. The rig was still upright although twisted and there is damage to the left front end of the semi. One of two large bladders on the flatdeck burst open and spilled its contents of what was later determined to be red phenol formaldehyde resin, used as an adhesive in plywood and OSB production. While the material is considered corrosive, the Ministry of Environment advised that there was no public safety issue. The highway, which had been closed most of Friday, re-opened to single-lane alternating traffic and then to two-way traffic once work crews left for the day on Saturday.
Deputy Chief John Iverson with Prince George Fire/Rescue advised late Friday that contractors would be on scene most of the weekend clearing the spilled material and removing the damaged rig. The rig is still there and the spill area is covered with plastic sheeting.
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Questions yet to be answered include: what caused the semi to go off the road on the wrong side of the highway? Why did it leave the road on a totally straight stretch? What quantity of synthetic polymer spilled? What is in the second bladder which remains on scene? Who owns the rig? Was there a mechanical problem? Was there a driver error? Why is the company or owner name on the rig duct taped?
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In the meantime the Guardian Angels have been requested to remain on site at least until Monday. They’ll be working in teams around the clock to prevent the possible theft of property from the accident scene.
Comments
“Questions Abound About Highway Spill.” I read this article because I was looking for the alleged questions that abound about the spill…………still looking……….:( maybe its too early for me or more like the reporter wants to be sensationalistic.
Another question, why is there no name on the door of the rig, as per MVA regulations? Big red flag!
pizzacook: That’s what the article is about! The questions surrounding the spill!
Hopefully we will get some answers to the questions. I would assume that this vehicle crossed a scale somewhere, or did it?? With the removal of the scale at the BC Rail site on Highway 97 vehicles from the BC Rail Industrial Park, and other areas can basically avoid the scales if they are going East, or West. That is until they get to Tete Jaune, or Vanderhoof.
The Government scale at Red Rock catches Highway 97 North South traffic to and from Vancouver, but very little else. Never did understand why that scale was built at Red Rock.
It should have been built at the Junction of the Old Cariboo Highway at 97 South. This would have caught all the traffic. However once they put in the Boundry Road, this idea was scrapped.
Did the driver remain at the scene or did he/she flee afterwards? Was the driver severely injured and unable to communicate?
Of course, if the driver disappeared most of the questions above can not be addressed to the person who knows precisely what happened! Lately there are a lot of instances where the main characters run as fast as they can. Was this one of them? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to peel back the duct to determine the name of the owner?
Was it a medical thing? Distracted driving? Falling asleep behind the wheel? Drugs? Alcohol? An attempt to avoid a collision?
In any case, for this to happen on a totally straight section of the highway is very troublesome, to say the least.
It is possible that the cops put duct tape over the name to keep the name out of the media while they are busy solving the mystery. The story does not mention the RCMP at all. Very strange.
Companies tell their drivers to cover the business name after an accident,bad advertising, the driver could of had a medical issue so why tar the fleet in the media.
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to peel back the duct to determine the name of the owner?”
Depends on when it was taped and by whom. May be the person in charge of the investigation on who on the tape.
The license plate is still clearly visible as is the UN 3266.
Looking that up, I get this:
TDG: CORROSIVE LIQUID, BASIC, INORGANIC, N.O.S. (Sodium Hydroxide) Class 8 UN3266 PGII
But that is not what spilled from the looks of it.
PrinceGeorge: the driver did not flee the scene of the accident, as stated in an earlier piece about this accident, blog/view/29221/1/spill+clean+up+to+take+most+of+the+day?id=143&st=15 the driver was taken to the regional hospital.
PrinceGeorge: the driver did not flee the scene of the accident, as stated in an earlier piece about this accident, blog/view/29221/1/spill+clean+up+to+take+most+of+the+day?id=143&st=15
the driver was taken to the regional hospital.
It appears that Phenol formaldehyde resin is not regulated by TDG in Canada. In the US transportation of 100,000 lbs or more is regulated, otherwise it is not.
Thanks, spectre180. Hope the driver is recovering and will soon be able to throw some light on the whole episode. In the meantime we can only speculate, if that is what we want to do.
When no one provides an update, speculation starts.
First principle of public relations.
Well since we are overspeculating… wrong TDG tags, duct tape over name on door, Formeldahyde based product – he was obviously on his way to a Meth lab ;)
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