GAS TANKER TRUCK SPILLS 8,000 GALLONS

NEW WELLS -- A gasoline tanker truck loaded with 8,500 gallons of gasoline overturned Monday morning on Cape Girardeau County Route C, about one mile south of New Wells.

The driver, Robert Snider, 60, of Cape Girardeau, was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital where he was listed in fair condition Monday afternoon.

Fruitland Fire Chief Marty Schuessler said about 8,000 gallons of gasoline spilled from the truck, but there was no explosion or fire.

Sgt. Leo McElrath III, senior Missouri Highway Patrol officer at the scene, said the tanker truck, owned by Commercial Transport Co. of Cape Girardeau, was northbound on Route C at about 9:20 a.m., when the right rear wheels of the tanker trailer dropped off the pavement onto the shoulder.

McElrath said when the trailer wheels slipped off the pavement, it caused the load of gasoline in the trailer to shift, making the tractor and trailer to overturn on the right side. The unit skidded on its side up an embankment, in front of the Ernest Craft residence on Route C, then rolled over on the left side, and overturned, crushing the truck tractor in a small ditch on the right side of the road.

The truck driver was able to free himself from the wreckage and walked about 300 feet to a nearby house where he called for help.

Schuessler said there were no sparks when the overturned trailer skidded on its side because it was made of aluminum.

Schuessler and a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper arrived at the scene at the same time and quickly blocked off the highway on each side of the overturned truck to prevent a possible fire or explosion.

"I was concerned for the driver at that time," said Schuessler. "I could see where the gasoline was going, but I couldn't see any sign of the driver."

Several residents of nearby homes were evacuated for the rest of the day as a safety precaution.

A command post was set up near the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery, about a quarter-mile from the overturned truck.

Fruitland firefighters quickly laid out water and foam hose lines, with extra foam brought in by the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. Two large wreckers from Carnell's Wrecker Service in Dutchtown arrived about 10:30 a.m.

The highway patrol set up roadblocks to keep sightseers out and reduce the risk of an accidental ignition and fire or explosion.

An empty tanker truck was brought in to pump out the remaining 500 gallons of gasoline in the overturned trailer and to pump up gasoline that had pooled at the bottom of the hill on County Road 524.

Schuessler said there were three critical times when the danger of a fire or explosion was the greatest. The first was at 12:45 p.m., when Schuessler, assisted by other firefighters, cut the battery cables in the overturned truck tractor. Any kind of a spark could have ignited the gasoline vapors. The second was at about 2 p.m., when the remaining 500 gallons of gasoline was transferred to the other tanker truck. The third was at about 3:30 p.m., when the two wreckers uprighted the overturned truck.

"An empty, or nearly empty, gasoline tanker is as dangerous, if not more so, than a loaded one because of the large volume of gasoline vapors inside the empty tank. Any kind of a spark could have ignited the vapors and caused an explosion," said Schuessler.

Dennis R. Lyons, environmental specialist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Southeast Missouri regional office at Poplar Bluff, said the gasoline-soaked wood mulch and topsoil will be removed by a contractor hired by Commercial Transport and taken to an approved landfill for disposal. The contractor, Nip Kelly Trucking of Cape Girardeau, was preparing to remove the mulch and topsoil late Monday afternoon.

Lyons said damage to the environment seemed to minimal. Said Lyons, "The ground was frozen and most of the product was captured and absorbed by the wood mulch dams. The rest of it pooled along the county road where it is now being pumped into the other tanker truck.

"It (gasoline) didn't get very far. the (Missouri) highway department did an excellent job in damming up the ditches on the side of the road to soak up a lot of the product with the wood mulch."

Schuessler was relieved when the overturned tanker truck was uprighted and removed from the scene. He said this was his first incident involving an overturned tanker truck and gasoline.

"I've had (liquid propane) incidents, but never gasoline tankers," said Schuessler. "Overall, I would say everything went as good as could be expected. We were able to control the scene, get our hose and foam lines laid, put down the wood mulch dams to stop and absorb gasoline, and there was no fire or explosion. In the end, that's what counts."

Authorities at the scene said cold temperatures and a moderate northeast wind aided in the recovery operation by dispersing some of the gasoline vapors.

Removal of the contaminated wood mulch and topsoil continued through the night. McElrath said until all of the gasoline-soaked wood mulch and topsoil is removed, the road will remain closed between Highway 61 and New Wells.