7000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel spilled on Monday night, when a tanker overturned on Route 460 East in Bedford County.
An environmental contractor is now removing contaminated soil and rock from the area, a job that could close the eastbound lanes of Route 460 for several weeks. State environmental officials say it's difficult to say exactly how long it will take.
We're told excavation is going well in the area where the tanker came to rest. The job will be more difficult on the lower side of the embankment where most of the gasoline and fuel seeped into the ground.
The spill hasn't reached Goose Creek, and a representative of the Department of Environmental Quality says it is not very likely that any wells in the area will be affected.
Wednesday afternoon, the Bedford County Department of Fire and Rescue released an update on the response to the accident. Following is the full text of the news release:
Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue continues to brief residents on hazardous materials cleanup along 460 East
May 30, 2012 - Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue responded to an overturned tanker that resulted in a fatality for the driver on Monday night. The tanker truck was carrying 5,700 gallons of gasoline and 2,500 gallons of diesel at the time it overturned. The regional hazardous materials team working with VDEM were able to recover 1,250 gallons of gasoline, the rest poured out onto the roadway and soil in the eastbound travel lanes of 460 which has resulted in traffic being routed into west bound lanes around the site. Residents around the immediate area were asked to evacuate during the incident but later were able to return to their homes. Residents may still smell gasoline and are asked to utilize air conditioners to help reduce any residual odor. Today, representatives from Department of Environmental Quality and WEL walked along Goose Creek and advised they have not observed any signs of concern in the waterway at this point. Contractors will continually monitor the water in the area. Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue will continue to work with the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Department of Environmental Quality, and contractor WEL to update the community as information becomes available.
