Spill contained, cleaned from scene
Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Fire Chief, 509.625.7002
Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 9:08 p.m.
A train and tractor trailer collided at a crossing in east Spokane spilling several hundred gallons of magnesium chloride onto the street.
The Spokane Fire Department HazMat team was called to the railroad crossing Friday at North Havana Street near East Sprague Avenue to contain the spill from the trailer, which rolled onto its side during the collision. Magnesium chloride, which is commonly used for low-temperature de-icing of highways and streets, is relatively harmless, but creates an environmental concern in high quantities and concentrations.
Fire companies created dams in front of the storm sewer drains and prevented any product remaining in the trailer from reaching the drains and eventually vacuumed up the product. Department of Ecology, City of Spokane Wastewater and the transporter/shipper cooperated to mitigate the spill and clean the area of remaining product.
No one was injured, but the collision caused $80,000 in damage.
