Saturday, February 7, 2015

ACRYLIC ACID LEAKED WHEN AN 18 WHEELER FLIPPED TO ITS SIDE NEAR LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA



 


ACRYLIC ACID LEAKED WHEN AN 18 WHEELER FLIPPED TO ITS SIDE NEAR LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA




February 5, 2015




Lafayette, LA:







Hwy 95 in Duson near Miss Mamie’s Casino was closed due to a flipped 18 wheeler leaking acrylic acid Thursday




The 18-wheeler tipped over into a ditch, causing acrylic acid to leak onto the road.  Rescue crews from Lafayette, Scott, Duson and State Police all responded to the emergency call.




“Duson PD received a call of an 18 wheeler that’s leaking acrylic acid. We know that it is flammable, corrosive and it’s toxic.” said State Police M/T Brooks David



Officials called in a second 18-wheeler to transfer the acid into. The process began around 5:30 and police say it could take over six hours. The road way is not expected to be cleared until midnight this evening.




“When our ESU units along with Duson PD thinks that its safe to do so, we’ll open up the roadways. Until then it will be shut down, our main priority is to make sure the public is safe.” said M/T David.




Angie Gray works at the gas station where the truck driver had left just moments before the accident.




“I guess he went in too sharp and the trailer went into the ditch first and it was gone first. I guess he got scared or nervous because he hit the gas a little bit too much because he flipped the whole truck .” said Gray.




Acrylic acid is a colorless liquid with a strong odor and is very flammable.  Acrylic acid is severely irritating and corrosive to the skin and the respiratory tract. Eye contact can result in severe and irreversible injury. Low exposure will cause minimal or no health effects, while high exposure could result in pulmonary edema.  Acrylic acid is produced from propene which is a byproduct of ethylene and gasoline production. 

Rescue crews closed down part of LA 95, South of I-10 down to US-90, in an attempt to keep the incident isolated.




“There not letting anybody in,  and nobody out so we haven’t had anybody. No trucks coming in , no business, nothing, so its going to be pretty bad.” said Gray.