Acid spill ties up U.S. 95 traffic

Jace Radke and Jennifer Lawson

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2002 | 11:10 a.m.

Two offramps of U.S. 95 at Charleston Boulevard were closed during rush hour this morning after 200 gallons of hydrochloric acid spilled from a tractor-trailer.

Hazardous materials crews worked to stop the acid from pouring into the drainage system by building a berm around the drain and spreading soda ash on the road to sop up the acid.

Fire officials said it was unclear how much went down a drain and into the sewer system toward Las Vegas Wash.

Crews were planning this morning to put either water or some sort of chemical down the drain to try to neutralize the acid.

The driver was taking his 35-foot tractor-trailer on the offramp from northbound U.S. 95 and noticed a "green ooze," authorities said. He pulled over near a drain and noticed the acid leaking out a back door.

The truck and acid belong to Thatcher Co. of Henderson.

Kyle Peterson, general manager of Thatcher, said the solution was 17 percent acid and half the strength of off-the-shelf pool cleaner. The company was taking the acid to a customer in the area.

Thatcher said water would dilute the acid.

Authorities did not know how the leak started.

Crews from the Clark County Fire Department, Metro Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol responded.

The northbound and southbound ramps of U.S. 95 on the eastern side of Charleston Boulevard were closed.

"Hydrochloric acid is pretty dangerous," county Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said. "It can burn lungs up, could knock you out, irritate eyes, nose and throat, if the wind is blowing good."

There were no immediate plans to evacuate anyone.

The danger to Las Vegas Wash, which ultimately receives all drainage from the Las Vegas Valley, is minimal, if the spill was small, David James, associate professor in the civil and environmental engineering department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said.

He said it was unclear what the damage could be, but noted that a spill of 40 gallons, which was initially reported, is "unlikely to get anywhere other than across the highway," he said. "I don't think the quantity is much to be worried about."

Sun reporter

Dan Kulin contributed to this story.