At approximately 3:00 am (CST) on February 1, 2007 a tanker truck carrying approximately 8,000 gallons of diesel/gasoline overturned northbound on Hwy 195 near Mile Marker 10 north of Jasper, Walker Co., Alabama. The driver had apparently lost control of his rig and skidded off the highway (crossing the southbound lane),and flipping inverted into a drainage ditch and resting "belly-up" [note the web-page photos]. The wreck resulted in the cargo spillage of diesel & unleaded gasoline. The driver was killed in the accident.
The accident resulted in a total product loss of about 4500 gallons. The evening rain, prior to the accident, had soaked the ground thus preventing significant ground absorption of the spilled product in and about the immediate area of the spill. However, this caused a "floating" effect which caused migration of the gasoline/diesel spill away from the wreckage area. The spillage traveled (southeastward) down and away from the southbound drainage ditch and faned out into a "bog" area and wet-weather wash. Response crews from the local Volunteer Fire Department(s) and contractor(s) for Vulcan Oil installed earthern berms, interceptor trenches and underflow dams to mittigate the spill. Additionally, oil pigs and diapers were also installed in spillage collection points. Product was not identified further than 1/4 mile from the wreckage.
A one-mile stretch of Hwy 195 was closed to allow response crews to off-load the tanker and clear the wreckage. Local Fire & Rescue/ HazMat, Alabama Highway Patrol & ADEM initially responded to the incident. The Hwy was reopened by 5 pm.
