Diesel spill closes U.S. 95

Friday, Aug. 8, 2003 | 9:29 a.m.

It took three hours for an environmental company to clean up a diesel fuel spill that closed U.S. 95 to traffic between Flamingo Road and Boulder Highway Thursday afternoon.

The driver of a double-tanker trujck discovered fuel leaking from the second tanker about noon, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Angie Wolff said.

The driver, who was not cited, stopped the truck and began transferring some of the fuel from the leaking tank into the intact one.

Traffic was back to normal by about 3:10 p.m., she said.

Firefighters spread foam over the spill to keep it from running into streambeds or sewers and to prevent it from catching fire.

H2O Environmental, a company licensed to handle hazardous spills, responded to the accident.

"They can dispose of the spilled materials safely and legally," Wolff said.

Steve Strawn, a H2O regulatory compliance officer, said the spill was contained, packaged and then removed from the asphalt. The fuel will be shipped to a landfill, he said.

archive