Document text
HazMat team contains acid spill Photo by Bob Pennell Acid spills - Dressed in hazard-protection suits, members of the Southern Oregon Hazardous Materials Team responded to an acid spill at TP Trucking on Table Rock Road Wednesday morning. Between 20 and 30 gallons of acid were cleaned up; one employee suffered minor injuries when acid vapors got in his eyes. No injuries reported in 20- to 30-gallon leak at a Central Point trucking company By DAVID PRESZLER CENTRAL POINT -- An acid leak at TP Trucking kept the Southern Oregon Hazardous Materials Team busy for several hours Wednesday morning; no serious injuries were reported. An estimated 20 to 30 gallons of concentrated nitric and hydrofluoric acid leaked from a full 330-gallon container before authorities contained the spill just before noon. The leaking container was inside a truck trailer in TP Trucking's lot at 5630 Table Rock Road when an employee discovered it early Wednesday morning, according to Medford Fire Department spokesman Brian Fish. Employees moved the tank from the trailer to the truck yard before alerting authorities. One employee suffered minor injuries when acid vapors got in his eyes. He was treated and released at an occupational health clinic in White City. The container was being shipped from a chemical company in California to a warehouse in Portland, according to Gary Grimes, TP's environmental director. He said the acid is commonly used in the etching of circuit boards. Grimes said the chemical company loaded the TP truck, and the truck was merely stopped overnight at the company's yard. "It's strong stuff," Grimes said. "It burned a hole right through the trailer." The most serious threat was posed by acid vapors, which could be seen coming off the leaking tank, Fish said. Police advised several surrounding businesses of the risk, but did not force an evacuation. The acid actually leaked in three spots around TP's truck yard: one where the truck was first parked and two others where it was moved once the leak was discovered. Dressed in full protective gear, members of the Hazardous Material, or HazMat, Team covered the first location with plastic to suppress vapors then examined the leaking tank. The team found that the tank was mostly full and leaking through a small hole or crack in the bottom at a rate of about 20 drips per second. A forklift moved the tank onto a plastic tarp, which was then taped around the tank to contain the vapors. First Strike, a private environmental clean-up company, pumped the remaining acid into another tank and handled the actual clean-up. The leak did not halt traffic on Table Rock Road but did disrupt business both at TP Trucking and some surrounding businesses. TP Trucking, a subsidiary of Timber Products, runs a fleet of 150 trucks out of the yard. The HazMat team was made up of staff from Medford Fire Department, Ashland Fire Department and Jackson County Fire District No. 3. Some 18-20 HazMat members were among the 30 or so rescue personnel at the scene. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA