Crews Clean Up Pesticide Truck Spill in Summit
Union County HAZMAT unit and officials with the state Department of Environmental Protection were on scene. The accident involved an overturned pesticide truck and three people were injured in the accident.
Photos
(Update: 5:10p.m.) Neighbors looked on and about a dozen children frolicked in a pool at a birthday party just a few feet away as several local agencies worked to cleam up a chemical spill caused by a crash on South Street.
Three people were rushed to the hospital following the crash, which occured around 2:30p.m. An overturned chemical truck blocked the street at the intersection of Broad Street and South Street in Summit for several hours.
A Union County HAZMAT team was on scene, as well as officials from the NJDEP who monitored the cleanup. As of 5:15p.m. crews were awating a contractor to clean up the chemical spill, which was believed to be pesticide and fertilizer. South Street is currently closed to automobile traffic.
The corner of South Street and Broad Street is closed to pedestrian traffic.
bobby jones
6:47 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
who fact checks? epa wasnt there... theres no "union county chemical cleanup" either...
Tom Ucko
7:23 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
FYI - the shirt of at least one of the people in the pictures says "County HAZMAT" on the back. Union County does have a Bureau of Hazardous Materials, or at least that's what the county website states.
Camilo H. Smith
9:59 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Bobby, thanks for pointing that out. There was a team from Union County and they were responsible for cleaning up the mess. The responsibility was split between Summit FD, a county HAZMAT unit and a pair of workers with the Department of Environmental Protection. I will make a fix in the story. Thanks again for your comment. If you have more accurate information please email me or drop them here in the comments section.