Cleanup of tanker truck spill in Kennett takes four hours

Authorities investigate the site of a chemical spill this morning in downtown Kennett, Mo. (Deanna Coronado/Daily Dunklin Democrat) [Click to enlarge]

KENNETT, Mo. -- Traffic was diverted around the downtown square in Kennett for more than four hours today as crews worked to correct a tanker truck that overturned on First Street after a rear axle broke.

At approximately 9:26 a.m., authorities responded to the call of the turnover, just short of the square on First Street, in front of the Daily Dunklin Democrat offices.

After being assisted from his vehicle by DDD News employee Donnie Shelton, of Kennett, the driver of the truck, Tim Moore, of Pascola, Mo., told authorities that he felt the rear axle give out, and the next thing he knew he was on his side.

Paul Vandeventer, of the Kennett Police Department, was the first officer on the scene and said Moore refused treatment to a sore arm, saying he was okay.

The tanker, which is the property of Sonny Jackson Farms, contained 3,500 gallons of a liquid fertilizer, some of which spilled onto the roadway.

As crews began working to clean up the scene after the accident, authorities roped off a large section of the roadway surrounding the incident and asked businesses in the area to temporarily close and evacuate for hazardous material concerns.

After workers were allowed back in the buildings, at around 11:20 a.m., Keith Riggs, of the Kennett Fire Department, said the fertilizer was a mixture of ammonium nitrate and urea, which is not hazardous.

Once the chemical was declared non-hazardous, crews began working to turn the truck back over. To do so, an empty tanker was brought in and the contents left in the overturned truck's tank were pumped into the empty tanker.

As the last of the fertilizer was being pumped out, the Kennett Fire Department made cuts along the rear axle, enabling McMahon's Auto & Diesel to pull the axle off with a large tow truck.

At approximately 2 p.m., McMahon crews hooked two large tow trucks to the tanker and the diesel and pulled it upright, to the applause of the crowd who had gathered around the area.

Vandeventer said the accident appeared to be the fault of a vehicle malfunction and no citations were issued.